Present on both days of the  HEAD Padel Tennis Paris 2026 , in Forest Hill Marnes-la-Coquette,  Richard Gasquet  has once again shown that he takes great pleasure in having a racket in his hands. After securing the  Show  On the tennis side, the former world number 7 also participated in Sunday's exhibition match, with the same relaxed attitude and the same desire to share.

 Tennis, showmanship, and fun 

The Saturday,  Richard Gasquet  was one of the headliners of the tennis portion of the event, alongside  Mansour Bahrami, Benoît Paire and Paul-Henri Mathieu In a relaxed atmosphere, the public was able to enjoy spectacular exchanges, some showy points and a real moment of sharing with players who have made their mark on French and international tennis.

Gasquet, true to form, played the game perfectly. He brought his  technical touch  and its  natural relaxation  on the court. A presence much appreciated by the spectators, but also by the other players present.

Four men on a clay tennis court pose for a photo, holding rackets and smiling with banners and trees in the background.

 Padel as a field of fun 

The next day, a change of scenery with the other racket sport. This time,  Richard Gasquet  was on the padel courts. He notably participated in an exhibition match alongside  Johan Bergeron Facing  Sacha Huard de la Marre and Nathan Perrot. 

On the pitch, the partnership worked well. Gasquet was obviously able to rely on his  ball touch while Bergeron brought his  experience and automatic reflexes of a padel player A pair that was enjoyable to watch, in a match played in a very good spirit.

 “I started doing it a year ago.” 

Since retiring from his professional tennis career, Richard Gasquet has more time to play padel. And he makes no secret of it.  He likes this sport  more and more.

“I started doing this a year ago.”, he explains. “Now that I’ve stopped playing tennis, I enjoy playing.”

The former ATP player also has the chance to share the court with some very good players. “I mostly play with very good players, with  Adrien Maigret  who makes me play from time to time,  Yann Auradou They've become friends and I always enjoy playing with them.”

Two men playing padel on an outdoor enclosed court; the white-clad player is preparing a shot while the other watches from the back left.

 No question of pretending to be a pro 

While Gasquet enjoys padel, he maintains a very  lucid about her practice For him, the goal is not to embark on a new career, but simply to  to have fun .

“Everyone has their own sport. I did a tournament like this for fun, but everyone has their own sport. We're not here to play professionally, that's definitely impossible. I'm too far behind.”

An honest observation, but one that doesn't prevent him from  savor every moment spent on the track . “It’s always a pleasure to play with others, to have fun. It’s a great sport, it’s fun, and there are lots of people who play.”

 A sport that complements tennis 

Richard Gasquet does not see padel as a competitor to tennis. On the contrary, he considers the two disciplines as  Additional .

“It’s fun, it’s perhaps more affordable than tennis, but for me the two sports are complementary. They’re not in competition. I think it’s good to have both.”

The Frenchman also points out that the two practices coexist today within the  French tennis federation For him, padel has this ability to quickly provide enjoyment, even without a background as a professional player.

“Padel is quite accessible. It’s easy, you can have fun pretty quickly with friends.”

Five men stand shoulder to shoulder on a padel court, each holding a padel paddle and smiling at the camera.

 A rematch against Federer and Nadal? 

When asked which player he would most like to get revenge against in padel after a tennis defeat, Richard Gasquet responded humorously by quoting  two legends of the circuit .

“I will certainly beat Nadal and Federer at padel, but I haven’t beaten them much at tennis. Maybe on the padel court today, I could.”

A response reflecting the weekend's mindset: playful,  good humor  et  a lot of pleasure At Forest Hill Marnes-la-Coquette, Richard Gasquet reminded everyone that beyond competition, the racket remains first and foremost a  A story of sensations .

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