Thomas Siniecki, Media365: printed on Wednesday, June 08, 2022 at 11:58 p.m.
Three days after Rafael Nadal’s fourteenth title at Roland-Garros, everybody continues to go there with their anecdote or their little story concerning the Spanish legend. Richard Gasquet is likely one of the greatest positioned for that.
Richard Gasquet confided in Paris Match regarding Rafael Nadal, who has change into one among his pals on the circuit : “We met for the first time in the final of the Petits As tournament in Tarbes; we were thirteen years old. I beat him, but it was already hard. Three years later, he was almost untouchable. C he was a kid who hit harder, with more intensity than all the others.” The Frenchman, one of many final two – with Gael Monfils – of the golden era of French tennis to nonetheless resist (Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gilles Simon introduced their retirement, on the finish of the season for the latter), remembers having ” spent a week at home in Mallorca, to train”: “He is simple, very humble and works very seriously. He needs to be at home, to spend time on his boat. Everyone knows him on his island, but people leave him alone.”
“His job has never made him mad”
Richard Gasquet assures that “Rafa” leads “a quiet life”, that he “did not lose himself in fame” and that “his profession has never driven him crazy”. The Biterrois, who is simply two weeks other than Rafael Nadal (the Spaniard celebrated his birthday final week at Roland-Garros, on Friday, whereas Richard Gasquet will blow out his 36 candles in ten days, June 18 ), has no worries concerning the well being of his colleague: “Yes, his foot hurts, but we must not forget that he is in great shape.”
The 72nd participant on this planet remembers particularly the ultimate of the Australian Open, the place the Spaniard beat Daniil Medvedev in additional than 5 hours and getting back from two units to nothing towards him (2-6, 6-7, 6 -4, 6-4, 7-5). “He will not be able to infiltrate each tournament, as he did at Roland-Garros. I did not believe for a second that he would announce his retirement.” Richard Gasquet even judges him as the favourite for the following version, contemplating him nonetheless unbeatable.