The 'tough love' that shaped retiring great Nadal
From ‘scaredy cat’ to a ‘raging bull’, Rafael Nadal’s transformation into a true tennis great had a lot to do with one man in particular.
From ‘scaredy cat’ to a ‘raging bull’, Rafael Nadal’s transformation into a true tennis great had a lot to do with one man in particular.
The 2008 Wimbledon final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer is often described as the greatest match of all time – but what made it so special?
As Rafael Nadal announces his retirement, BBC Sport looks back at the moment the Spaniard clinched his maiden Wimbledon title after an epic final against Roger Federer.
As Rafael Nadal confirms his retirement from tennis, BBC Sport looks at his top 10 moments – and asks you to vote for your favourite.
As Rafael Nadal confirms he will retire at the end of the season, BBC Sport examines how the ‘King of Clay’ reigned supreme.
Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest players of all time, confirms his retirement from tennis.
Richard Gasquet, the former No. 7 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, revealed in an interview with L’Equipe plans to retire next year after Roland Garros.
“I think that it is the best moment for me to do it,” Gasquet said in the French interview. “It is the best tournament to do it. It’s magnificent, we have the chance being French to be able to stop in these kind of incredible places. An end, it’s always complicated, all the former great players always told me it’s not easy to announce. You never know when, how, where. Here, in any case, it is obvious.”
The 38-year-old, who turned pro in 2002, has spent more than two decades in the spotlight. Having graced the cover of French Tennis Magazine at age nine, Gasquet won his ATP Tour debut match aged 16 at the 2002 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters against Franco Squillari.
[ATP APP]
Active Players With 500 Wins
| Player | Record |
| 1) Novak Djokovic | 1,119-221 |
| 2) Rafael Nadal | 1,080-227 |
| 3) Richard Gasquet | 605-400 |
| 4) Marin Cilic | 587-333 |
| 5) Stan Wawrinka | 573-359 |
| 6) Gael Monfils | 561-334 |
The Frenchman, known for his picturesque one-handed backhand, has earned 605 tour-level wins (605-400), the third-most victories among active players behind only Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
Gasquet has won 16 ATP Tour titles, most recently triumphing last year in Auckland. He has claimed 36 victories against Top 10 opponents and competed in the Nitto ATP Finals twice, in 2007 and 2013.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Watch American Frances Tiafoe’s furious outburst at an umpire following a 5-7 7-5 7-6 (7-5) defeat by Roman Safiullin at the Shanghai Masters.
David Goffin credits his resurgent form at the Rolex Shanghai Masters to the desire to prove to his three-week-old daughter, Emma, that the level of tennis that propelled him to No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings was still in reach.
Goffin produced a vintage performance on Wednesday to upset second seed Alexander Zverev, prevailing 6-4, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals of an ATP Masters 1000 for the first time since 2021. The 33-year-old Belgian, who is currently World No. 66, became the fourth-lowest ranked quarter-finalist in Shanghai tournament history.
An incredible moment for @David__Goffin as he stuns No. 2 seed Zverev 6-4 7-5.@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/nZU2LJq2e1
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 9, 2024
Having largely competed on the ATP Challenger Tour over the past two years, Goffin has recently begun to resurrect the form that drove him to the final of the Nitto ATP Finals in 2017.
“I wanted to show my daughter that I can be a good tennis player,” said Goffin, who will face Taylor Fritz for a spot in the last four. “We tried to find a few more years to show her that I can still play tennis, and that’s the case for the moment. Even if she doesn’t realise yet, hopefully she will come and watch a little bit.
“Sometimes you have doubts about your fitness and your head. If you’re not 100 per cent there, mentally, it’s tough to compete with those guys – the level is so high. I have put a lot of hard work in [over] the past few months and there is no [surprise] the tennis came back and I am really happy to be back again in the quarter-finals of an ATP Masters 1000.”
[ATP APP]Goffin, who was hampered by injuries following the 2021 US Open, has shown glimpses of his best tennis over the past few months. After making the semi-finals at the Winston-Salem Open, Goffin produced a strong run to the third round at Flushing Meadows.
This week in Shanghai, Goffin ousted 15th seed Lorenzo Musetti in a thrilling battle before denying Zverev in his quest for a second title in 2024.
“I have built confidence from the beginning of the tournament. Match after match, I was playing better and I just came on the court and tried to play my best tennis,” added Goffin. “[I tried] to stick to the plan that I had with my coach and it worked. Even though he came back with some good rallies, I just tried to stay positive because I was on the right way to winning the match. It paid off in the end with a really good service game to finish, so I am really happy with the win.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Erika Andreeva defeats higher-ranked younger sister Mirra in the first professional meeting between the two siblings to reach the last 16 at the Wuhan Open.