Richard Gasquet’s legacy grew significantly today. The Frenchman played his 1000th ATP Tour match, making him the fourth active player to reach four figures. He joins an elite club of pros, which includes only Novak Djokovic (1,315), Rafael Nadal (1,291) and Fernando Verdasco (1,006).
Such feats are not celebrated every week: “I’m very proud to reach this number, it means I have worked hard and well. It’s no coincidence or luck that I have maintained my fitness for 17 straight seasons”, said the Frenchman. “Tennis is my passion and I fight every day to keep playing at the top level. I don’t know if this’ll be my last time in Madrid, but I’m very proud of my record”, he concluded.
Unfortunately, he was unable to celebrate the milestone with a win, saying goodbye to the clay of Madrid after a 6-2, 7-5 defeat to the Italian Lorenzo Soneto. Despite today’s loss, the French player has plenty of reasons to be happy: 1000 matches, 17 seasons and 16 ATP titles.
