"I knew Rafael Nadal since he was young, I wasn't afraid" - Richard Gasquet makes honest admission about his 'huge regret' over Spaniard's retirement
French tennis player Richard Gasquet candidly admitted his unique regret regarding Rafael Nadal's retirement. The Spaniard recently ended his illustrious career at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, while Gasquet has announced his decision to hang up his racket at the 2025 French Open.
Among Nadal's many exceptional accomplishments, one impressive statistic is his perfect 18-0 winning record against Gasquet. Only Novak Djokovic's 19-0 dominance over Gael Monfils trumps it as the most lopsided rivalry in tennis history.
During a recent appearance on the Super Moscato Show, Richard Gasquet reflected on his "horrible" record against Rafael Nadal, expressing his deep regret over never managing to beat the 22-time Grand Slam champion before his retirement.
"I lost 18 times against him, it's horrible. I'm not going to sell you a false thing by telling you that it's a pleasure. It's a huge regret for me not to have beaten him. Now he's gone so I won't beat him again," Gasquest said (Translated from French).
Gasquet, who has known the Spaniard since childhood, emphasized that his repeated losses weren't a result of him being afraid. The Frenchman also pointed out that he had triumphed over Nadal as a 13-year-old at the Les Petit As junior tournament and nearly defeated him at the 2005 Monte-Carlo Masters.
However, Gasquet acknowledged that the former World No. 1's game had progressed far beyond his own and confessed that it was hurtful to have never won a match against his longtime rival.
"I knew him since he was young, I wasn't particularly afraid. I beat him at 13. I thought I could beat him in Monaco (in 2005, defeat 6–7, 6–4, 6–3). After that I had a hard time, he progressed, there's no doubt about it. It became difficult. When you're an athlete and you've never beaten a guy, it hurts," he added.
"Rafael Nadal's game was tricky for mine... it was tough for me to face him every time" - Richard Gasquet
During a recent interview with CLAY, Richard Gasquet lamented that his struggles against Rafael Nadal extended beyond clay, as the Spaniard dominated their rivalry on hard courts as well. The Frenchman elucidated his point by highlighting his 6-0, 6-1, 7-5 defeat in their most recent encounter at the 2022 US Open.
Gasquet also admitted that the 22-time Grand Slam champion's game was particularly "tricky" for him and hailed Nadal as one of the greatest players in history.
"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," Gasquet said.
"I lost to him many times. It was tough, especially. 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," he added.
Interestingly, Richard Gasquet announced his decision to end his career at the 2025 French Open on the same day as Rafael Nadal's bombshell retirement announcement. The Frenchman humorously laughed off the timing as a "pretty incredible coincidence," taking no issue with being overshadowed.