French tennis professional Richard Gasquet has expressed astonishment at Novak Djokovic’s continued dominance on the court at the age of 36, as the Serb maintains his position at the top of the world rankings.
Gasquet has been a fixture on the tennis circuit since 2002, once soaring to the rank of World No. 7. However, he currently finds himself placed at 131st in the ATP rankings. Additionally, Gasquet has struggled to clinch titles since his victory at the ASB Classic men’s singles tournament in January 2023.
His recent defeat to Robert Bautista Agut in the opening round of the Open 13 in Marseille, France, adds to a string of disappointing performances, echoing similar outcomes at the Australian Open and Open Sud de France earlier this year.
In a conversation with French national daily L’Equipe, Gasquet lamented his form, foreseeing a downward spiral.
“It’s inevitable. Except for Novak Djokovic, who is winning Grand Slams at almost 37 years old,” Gasquet remarked.
Reflecting on Djokovic’s exceptional longevity, Gasquet questioned if such prowess has been witnessed in other sports, drawing comparisons to figures like Michael Jordan and Lionel Messi.
“Have we ever seen that in sports, except maybe [Michael] Jordan? [Lionel] Messi plays in Miami, the others in Saudi Arabia. He [Novak] is No. 1 in the world… I can’t explain to myself that a guy like that is so strong at that age. At 37-38 years old, normally, you’re much worse than at 25. You know that. At no point did I say to myself that I would play the year I turned 38. Unimaginable,” Gasquet added.
