There is no single way to approach retirement. Some turn to golf, others devote themselves to family, and some even try to stay involved in the sport because they don’t know how to do anything else. Gastón Gaudio, however, chose to spend two months enjoying the casinos and parties of Las Vegas.
“We went there with five friends, including a former tennis player, planning to stay for seven days, but we ended up staying for 60,” he revealed in an interview on the TV show Otro Día Perdido.
The Argentine, who won Roland Garros in 2004, officially retired from tennis in 2011, although he had played his last match a year earlier.
“Fui por 7 días a Las Vegas y me quedé 60”: Gastón Gaudio contó que, tras su retiro, se “descarriló un poco”. Además, recordó el viaje que hizo con cinco amigos a la ciudad del pecado y reveló que todo “terminó mal”.
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His crowning moment had come seven years earlier, when he lifted the French Open trophy after defeating fellow Argentine Guillermo Coria in the final.
“In tennis, you have to be extremely professional and serious from a very young age. You miss out on thousands of experiences because you’re 100% dedicated to it. When I retired, I went a bit off the rails. I’d spent so many years keeping myself in check,” said the former world No. 5.
Just before completing two months in the Nevada desert, the eight-time ATP champion had a moment of clarity and realised just how far things had gone.
“You never see daylight, and it’s even been proven that they pump oxygen into the air conditioning to make it harder for you to sleep, so you spend more time playing at the tables. I reached a point where I got scared. I realised things were getting out of hand, and I left on day 58. Two friends stayed for another two days,” he recalled.
Gaudio, who captained Argentina’s Davis Cup team from 2018 to 2021, revealed that the group’s adventure ended badly on day 60, with police getting involved. By then, however, he had already returned to Argentina.
His comments have caused a stir in Argentina and could even have a negative impact on his bid to become president of Club Atlético Independiente, the football club with the most Copa Libertadores titles. The election to choose the new leader of El Rojo will take place on 13 December, with Gaudio backed by Ricardo Bochini, the club’s greatest legend.
