Richard Gasquet has been one of the most consistent players on the ATP World Tour over the last decade-plus, finishing inside the Top 20 in the Emirates ATP Rankings in eight of the past 12 seasons. At the elite ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level, the Frenchman has reached three finals, finishing runner-up in Toronto twice (2006 l. Federer, 2012 l. Djokovic) and Hamburg once (2005 l. Federer).

This series has also provided the stage for a couple other notable career highlights. Fifteen years ago, Gasquet made his tour-level debut as a 15-year-old at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, when he became the youngest player ever to qualify for a Masters 1000. Three years later at the same tournament, he saved three match points en route to an upset win over World No. 1 Roger Federer in the quarter-finals – a moment that remains one of his best career memories. 

He spoke to ATPWorldTour.com about that match, and also reflected on why the Masters 1000s are so tough.

Which Masters 1000 host city is your favourite and why?
I want to say Paris-Bercy because it’s in Paris and it’s the last tournament of the year. My family and friends are there.

Which Masters 1000 would you most like to win?
It would be the same. It would be incredible to win at home in France in front of a French crowd. It’s a dream to win there.

What’s your favourite court/conditions at a Masters 1000 tournament?
I think Indian Wells is great. You have many great courts, a lot of big courts, great facilities there. For me, it’s one of the best tournaments in the world.

Is there a win at a Masters 1000 tournament from your career that stands out?
Yes. I had three finals: in Toronto two times and one in Hamburg many years ago. It would be great for me to win one, and I’m still able to do it so I’ll try my best to do it.

I know you’ve been asked about it a lot, but I’d like to talk about that 2005 win when you beat Roger Federer in Monte-Carlo. What did that mean to you?
I think that’s one of my best memories because I was 18 years old, I was [ranked] 100 in the world and he was No. 1. Nobody expected me to win and I did it. It was such a great surprise for me, so of course it’s one of my best memories.

What’s the toughest part about Masters 1000s? A lot of people say they’re harder than Grand Slams because you go straight into big matches.
Yeah, I would have to say the same. In the first round, you can play Top 20 guys. It’s crazy; it’s the biggest ever you can get. It’s a Masters 1000 so that’s why it’s so tough in the first round – you can play one of the best players in the world. It’s very difficult to win matches in this kind of tournament.

Who stands out to you as a great Masters 1000 competitor?
It’s easy to say, it’s [Novak] Djokovic and [Rafael] Nadal because they’ve won [30 titles], so of course, especially on clay for Rafa and the other tournaments for Novak. They’re the biggest players to face there.

10 THINGS TO WATCH IN PARIS

1. The Home Stretch: All eyes this week are on the Rolex Paris Masters, where two spots in singles at the Nitto ATP Finals, one spot in doubles, and the year-end No. 1 ranking are all on the line.

2. One for One: Rafael Nadal will clinch year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings with one win in Paris or London. The Spaniard is seeking his fourth finish as World No. 1 and a record 31st ATP Masters 1000 title. While Nadal is a 10-time Roland Garros champion, he has never won Paris’s other tour-level event. His only run to the Rolex Paris Masters final came in his debut 10 years ago.

3. Four No More: The ‘Big Four’ of Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic has won 84 per cent of all ATP Masters 1000 events since 2005 (97 of 116). However, Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov broke through earlier this season for the biggest titles of their respective careers. Zverev won ATP Masters 1000 titles in Rome and Montreal before Dimitrov reigned in Cincinnati.

4. Paris to London: Joining Nadal, Zverev and Dimitrov at the Rolex Paris Masters and Nitto ATP Finals are Marin Cilic and Dominic Thiem. Cilic has reached semi-finals this autumn in Tokyo, Shanghai and Basel, but Thiem has never advanced to a semi-final after September.

5. Flights on Hold: David Goffin and Pablo Carreno Busta are next in line to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. Since the US Open, Goffin is 16-4 and Carreno Busta is 1-4. Both men are attempting to qualify for their first year-end championships, though Goffin played as an alternate last year.

6. Last Chances: Carreno Busta isn’t the only contender struggling down the stretch. Kevin Anderson is 3-4 since playing in the US Open final, while Sam Querrey is 2-3 this autumn. Carreno Busta leads Querrey by 80 points and Anderson by 135 in the Emirates ATP Race to London.

7. Making His Move: Juan Martin del Potro has risen from No. 47 to No. 13 in the Emirates ATP Race to London since the US Open. Del Potro, a four-time qualifier at the Nitto ATP Finals, controls his own destiny. If he wins his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Paris, he will return to London.

8. French Hopes: Among the other Nitto ATP Finals contenders are Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Lucas Pouille, two of 10 Frenchmen in the Paris field. Tsonga must reach the Paris semi-finals to give himself a shot at qualifying, while Pouille must advance to his first ATP Masters 1000 final. Pouille defeated Tsonga in Vienna on Sunday for the biggest title of his career and 500 race points.

9. Doubles Update: Ivan Dodig and Marcel Granollers won the Basel title on Sunday to earn 500 race points. They can clinch the last available doubles spot at the Nitto ATP Finals by reaching the Paris final, among other scenarios. Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram, the 2016 Nitto ATP Finals runners-up, trail Dodig and Granollers by 470 points in the Emirates ATP Doubles Race to London.

10. Milan in Sight: The Rolex Paris Masters features five men bound for the Next Gen ATP Finals: Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, Denis Shapovalov, Borna Coric and Hyeon Chung. They will be joined in Milan on November 7-11 by Jared Donaldson, Daniil Medvedev and a wild card.

Four-time ATP World Tour titlist Paul-Henri Mathieu has played his final singles match. The 35-year-old Frenchman announced his retirement on Sunday, following his defeat to Canadian Vasek Pospisil 6-3, 6-4 in the final round of qualifying at the Rolex Paris Masters.

Mathieu turned professional in 1999 and reached a career-high of No. 12 in the Emirates ATP Rankings in 2008.

“I knew that when I started the year it was going to be my last one, because I’m 35 and I’ve had a lot of injuries. I have a family. When you have one kid you can manage it a little bit, try to make them come. But when you start to have two kids, it’s too complicated,” Mathieu said.

“I’m 35. Ten, 15 years ago I would have never thought I would have played that late. I’m lucky playing until this age. I think it’s time. One year or more is not going to change anything for me, and I want to spend time with the family.”

Mathieu enjoyed his breakout season in 2002, winning his first two ATP World Tour titles in back-to-back weeks. Mathieu won Moscow, beating World No. 4 Marat Safin in the semi-finals, and then headed to Lyon, where he beat Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten for the title.

“It was two crazy weeks. I was young at this age. It was a great moment,” Mathieu said.

The 21-year-old Mathieu also reached the fourth round of his home Grand Slam, Roland Garros in 2002, and led American Andre Agassi two sets to one before falling in five.

Mathieu’s peers honoured him as the 2002 ATP World Tour Newcomer of the Year. “It was a big year for me,” Mathieu said.

Five years later the right-hander would double his title haul, again winning two titles in the same season – in Gstaad and Casablanca, both on clay. The third and fourth titles of his career would help him ascend to his career-high Emirates ATP Ranking of No. 12 in April 2008. Mathieu finished 4-6 in ATP World Tour title matches.

“It’s difficult to feel when you are in the peak of the career. You always hope for more. When you’re 12 I was hoping for 10, and when you’re 10 you hope for 5. It never ends I think,” Mathieu said.

Injuries hobbled Mathieu throughout his career, but never more so than from 2010-12. He missed 14 months because of an injury to his left knee that required surgery.

Mathieu said he may stay involved in the tennis industry but for the immediate future, he plans to spend more time with his wife, Quiterie, and their two children, Gabriel, 5, and Ines, who is seven months old.

The Frenchman isn’t finished with tour-level action just yet. He will play doubles at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Paris, partnering countryman Benoit Paire.