The Frenchman Richard Gasquet hangs, at 36, a sixteenth title in his long career. The native of Béziers had not won an ATP tournament since his victory on grass in June 2018 in Bois-le-Duc, in the Netherlands.
It was in New Zealand that the right-hander won the Auckland tournament on Saturday January 14 (around 4 a.m. French time) by defeating world number 12, Briton Cameron Norrie (4-6, 6-4, 6-4).
“It’s an incredible feeling. I played my best tennis all week, but especially today”, said the Biterrois after a crazy match. He had lost the first set and then trailed 4-1 in the final before turning things around to claim his second outdoor hard-court title.
42e world
With this new victory, Richard Gasquet seizes several records. He becomes the oldest Frenchman to win an ATP tournament, and becomes the highest ranked tricolor – which had not happened to him since July 2016 – the oldest in the history of French tennis.
Current 67th in the world, Richard Gasquet will start the Australian Open on Monday January 16, in 42nd place in the rankings, returning to the top 50 of the ATP from which he left in April 2021.
Throughout his twenty years on the circuit, Richard Gasquet has reached three Grand Slam semi-finals but has never passed eighth in Melbourne.