Gasquet gives the key to his great level in Montecarlo: "I took advantage of it"

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Richard Gasquet was the eternal promise, but beyond that, he always amazed with the dream factory of his one-handed backhand. With a unique playing style, Richard carved out a place for himself in tennis's most golden era. However, he never managed to show what he truly promised because when facing the members of the Big 3, he couldn't match their level and suffered very tough defeats that weighed on him throughout his career. Against Djokovic, he won twice and lost 14 times, against Federer he also managed two wins but succumbed in 19 matches, and against Nadal, he never won on the professional circuit (0-18). Additionally, he never reached a Grand Slam or Masters 1000 final.

Still, the career built by Richard Gasquet is enviable. He claimed 16 ATP titles between 2005 and 2023 and remained in the top 100 uninterruptedly from 2005 to 2024 (19 years), a feat matched only by racket geniuses. While it seemed like his farewell wouldn't make much noise, the invitation to compete in the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 in 2025 gave the Frenchman an excuse to start a celebration of his own, as he did in the first round against Matteo Arnaldi, whom he overcame by 6-3 4-6 6-4.

- Gasquet's Court

Monte Carlo's conditions suit Gasquet perfectly. In a press conference after winning in the first round, he explained: "It's a big victory for me. He hadn't played much on this court, and I am very accustomed to it, which gave me confidence. The support from the crowd has helped me a lot, so I wanted to give myself a chance. I'm very happy; maybe it was my last time on this center court, and that's why I gave my all and managed to execute good shots."

"Before the match, I was a little tense, it was a strange feeling. When you step onto the court for the first time in a tournament like this or at Roland Garros, you feel many emotions. Later, I noticed Arnaldi trying to position himself on the court, so I took advantage and it gave me confidence. I was lucky to win the third set after breaking when I served at 5-3. If I had ended up losing the match, I would have felt bad."

- A Consistent Level

Richard's level has remained consistent over the years, but he displayed outstanding flashes against Arnaldi: "I felt worse at the end of the match, but today and ten years ago, I can still hit really good backhands. However, if you ask me if in ten years I'll still be hitting forehands and serves.... I don't think so. While playing today, I recalled some points from the past thanks to some beautiful backhands I hit today."

Richard Gasquet's story in Monte Carlo is one that's not yet over, as he will face Felix Auger-Aliassime or Daniel Altmaier in the second round.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Gasquet da la clave de su gran nivel en Montecarlo: "Lo aproveché"