"He wasn’t an unimaginable player back then": Richard Gasquet on beating Roger Federer in 2005

Richard Gasquet reminisced about the first time he faced Roger Federer and highlighted the Swiss maestro’s ability to keep improving throughout his career. The 39-year-old Frenchman remarked that, like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, Federer’s key strength was his continuous development of every shot during his career.

Their first encounter took place at the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2005, where a young Gasquet, coming from the qualifiers, managed to defeat the then-undisputed World No. 1 Roger Federer 6-7, 6-2, 7-6(8). Gasquet was later eliminated in the semifinals by Rafa Nadal, who went on to win his first Masters 1000 title.

Gasquet faced Federer a total of 21 times, with Federer dominating their head-to-head record 19-2 (5-0 in Grand Slams). Gasquet's first victory came on the clay of Monte Carlo, and six years later in Rome, he achieved another tight win over Federer, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6(4).

"The first time I faced Federer, I found that he became much stronger later. To tell you the truth, when I beat him, I didn’t think I had played against an unimaginable player," Gasquet commented. "When I left the court, I thought I wasn’t weaker than him. Later, he was exceptional in many of our matches.

"He had progressed. The same applies to Djokovic and Nadal—their strength is that they have improved everywhere and on all surfaces. Federer’s backhand wasn’t the same anymore. But the first time I faced him, he wasn’t at that level," said the Frenchman.

Gasquet finished the season ranked World No. 129 and has managed to stay competitive despite his significant drop in the rankings. The former World No. 7 will begin his 2025 season by playing in the Brisbane International qualifying rounds.