Thank you Richard

Monaco, 19 March 2025 – Tournament Director David Massey today unveiled the first of four wildcards in the final draw of the 2025 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, which will take place from 5th to 13th April 2025. This one goes to Richard Gasquet, who will be making his final return to the land where his legend began.

Flashback. April 2002. At just 15 years and 10 months old, Richard Gasquet caused a sensation in Monte-Carlo by winning his very first match on the ATP circuit against Franco Squillari, a semi-finalist at the 2000 French Open and ranked 53rd in the world. A qualifier by invitation, he had already beaten two members of the Top 100 before losing in the second round to Marat Safin, ranked 6th in the world. It was on the clay of the Monte-Carlo Country Club that the public discovered his magical backhand and his immense talent.

Three years later, in April 2005, just precisely twenty years ago, the young French prodigy pulled off one of the greatest feats of his career by beating Roger Federer, then the undisputed world number one, in the quarterfinals of the Monaco tournament. Aged just 18 and ranked 101st on the ATP rankings, Gasquet triumphed in a match of anthology (6-7, 6-2, 7-6), saving three match points before triumphing in a tie-break of memorable intensity. This resounding success remains one of the most memorable moments in the tournament’s recent history. The following day, only the great Rafael Nadal, future winner of his first Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo, managed to deny him a place in the final (6-7, 6-4, 6-3).

A three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist (Wimbledon 2007 and 2015, US Open 2013), former world No. 7 in 2007 and winner of 16 ATP titles, Richard Gasquet is one of the rare players to have played more than 1,000 matches on the circuit. His elegance on the court and legendary backhand have left their mark on several generations of tennis fans.

On the eve ofwhat is his final season before retirement, the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters was keen to offer this virtuoso of the circuit a final dance on the Monegasque clay court. It was as a way of celebrating his exceptional career and offering the public the chance to honour a career made up of talent, passion and unforgettable achievements.

Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters 2025 : a not-to-be-missed event on the ATP circuit

A historic tournament on the ATP Masters 1000 circuit, the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, chaired by Melanie-Antoinette de Massy, marks the opening of the European clay-court season and takes place on the iconic courts of the Monte-Carlo Country Club.

This 118th edition will bring together 42 of the world’s top 45 players, including 9 of the Top 10 on the ATP circuit. It will kick off at the draw, which will be held on Friday 4th April at 5.00pm at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, the tournament’s official hotel, in the presence of Stefanos Tsitsipás, three-time winner and defending champion.