US Open celebrates Richard Gasquet, but Frenchman has not yet provided clarity on retirement

Richard Gasquet played the US Open for the last time in his great career. The French tennis player, who turned 38 in June, said goodbye to Flushing Meadows, having failed to achieve the goal of qualifying for the main draw for the 20th consecutive season and retired in the qualifiers.

Semi-finalist in 2013, the former ATP No. 7 was eliminated in the second round of qualifying, falling to Lithuanian Next Gen Vilius Gaubas. At the end of the match, the organizers of the New York Major wanted to honor the Frenchman with a plaque in his honorin memory of the achievements of one of the most elegant tennis players on Tour, whose one-handed backhand is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful of recent years.

Gasquet, giving a speech on the sidelines, thanked the audience for the warmth he has received over the yearsin which he looks back on his most emotional moments on the tennis courts of the US Slam.

“I’m a very happy man. I played on the best courts in New York, in front of the best fans. It was the best atmosphere you can find on a tennis court, playing in front of 20,000 people on Center Court. I played against Federer, Djokovic and Nadal, the best players here, and I’m proud of the level I showed in New York,” the Frenchman explained at the end of the match.

Gasquet is still disappointed that he did not reach the main draw for the last time. “I will carry these memories with me for the rest of my life. It is a bit sad to end the year like this, but I am very happy with how I played here in New York. You play tennis to feel these kinds of sensations. Playing here has always been exciting,” concluded Gasquet, winner of 22 ATP titles in his career.

The 38-year-old has not yet announced when he will officially retire from tennis, but the moment of farewell could likely come during one of his home tournaments, between Paris-Bercy 2024 and Roland Garros 2025.

Tribute to our 2013 semi-finalist, Richard Gasquet 👏 photo.twitter.com/XBPCbZFiGK

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 21, 2024