Of the “New Four Musketeers” of French tennis, only half remain in professional activity. Richard Gasquet, known for his exquisite one-handed backhand and unmatched technique, smiles when recalling that golden era alongside Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, and Gael Monfils: “Those are real friendships, not just tennis friendships.”
Gasquet, 38 years old and ranked 133rd in the ATP rankings, still finds joy in tennis despite competing in Challenger Tour events and being relegated to qualifying rounds at Grand Slams.
“I want to get back into the Top 100. I know I’ll retire soon, so what I’m trying to do now is still find pleasure in tennis,” he told CLAY in an interview.
The Frenchman lost all 18 encounters against Rafael Nadal in the main tour, and he reflected on that too: “Playing against him was always a big tennis challenge… and mental, physical… everything.”
Interview with Richard Gasquet

– The ‘new four musketeers’ of French tennis looking sharp in Monfils’ wedding. What do you think when you see this photo? You must have great memories with this team.
– Yeah, great memories. They are my good friends. We stayed together for long. We played a lot through our career, memorable matches and team competitions together. I know Jo since I was a child. Gael… with Gilles I played with him for the first time when I was 10 years old. They are my friends for life. I am very happy when I spend time with them.
– What’s the best anecdote, the best moment behind the scenes with this crew?
– Oh, it’s tough to say exactly. I have known Jo since we were children and we won everything. We won the European Cup together, the U-14 World Cup. We did everything. We went on holidays together, we always shared dinner in good restaurants in different cities. Same with Gael. These are real friendships, not only tennis friendships.
– Who’s the best one to party with?
– Jo, Jo, definitely Jo. Tsonga is the best for parties by far. He is intense! Always you find good fun when you go out with him.
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– You are now playing in the Challenger Tour and in the quallies of the Slams. What are your ambitions at this stage of your career?
– I want to try to come back in the Top 100. Of course, it’s not easy to do. I try my best. And then, of course, I know I will retire soon. Exactly when? I don’t know. But it will happen. So I just want to find some pleasure and have a chance.
Editor’s note: In a recent interview with L’Equipe, Gasquet announced that his final tournament as a professional will be Roland Garros 2025.
– Do you still have fun on the court?
– Yeah, I still do. So I will still try to find the way to win matches and enjoy the tour.
– Do you have faith on Ivan Ljubicic and his new role in the French Tennis Federation? (The Croatian was chosen as a director of the “Ambition 2024” programme, designed to help improve French Tennis)
– Yeah, for sure. I think it was a great idea to choose him. I’m sure he will do great. That’s the first time there is a foreigner in France. And Ljubicic is one of the best. He is clever. He was number three in the world. He knows the game well and he has big experience coaching, everything. It’s a good thing to have him on the board, the best for France. And that’s a great idea to have him on the board.
– The main ambition must be to have a Roland Garros champion. No male has done it since 1983 (Yannick Noah), last woman was Mary Pierce in 2000…
– Not easy. Yeah, yeah. To have a Grand Slam winner is the goal.

– What are your feelings when you face Rafael Nadal in a tennis court?
– For sure, bad for me because I lost 18 times, especially when I played against him on clay. Even on hard court, I lost, you know, last one in the US Open. I lost to him many times. It was tough. His game was tricky for mine. He is one of the best players in history, so, of course, it was tough for me to face him every time.
– Is Nadal the best player of all time?
– One of the best. Tough to say he is the best, but he is one of the best.
– Mentally speaking, how big was the challenge to step in the court to play him?
– Playing against him was always a big tennis challenge… and mental, physical.. everything. Everything.
If you liked this interview with Richard Gasquet, don’t miss, in this link to our website, many other interviews with the great tennis stars.