In a match against Andy Murray, a former world number one, the Frenchman, who is the recipient of an invitation, will be competing in what may be the final match of his career on Monday evening (beginning at 7:30 p.m.).
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So, it looks like we’re getting close. At Paris-Bercy, Gilles Simon will compete against Andy Murray in the final tournament of his career on Monday at 7:30 p.m. The player who is about to retire recently revealed in one of our columns how, despite losing the majority of their head-to-head matchups against him (2-7 against Federer and 1-11 against Djokovic), he still managed to notably irritate the two tennis greats Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer throughout his career.
“Professor” Simon has frequently been the student when competing against Andy Murray, the fourth member of the illustrious Big Four, who is currently ranked 49th in the world. Of the 18 times the two men have competed against one another, the Nicois only has two victories to his name. “ Each challenger has several advantages and disadvantages. Andy is a challenging opponent for many players, but especially for me. His game never really appealed to me because it was consistently challenging. As usual, I have already defeated him twice in this round. I try to convince myself that I am capable of accomplishing that goal at any time. I was also successful in frightening him on multiple occasions during matches in which I served for the match; some of these contests hung notably on the final confrontations. It’s been a while since we last competed against one another (their most recent match took place in 2016 in Vienna, and the Scot won in straight sets, editor’s note). I will make an effort to focus on my game and play and move effectively. To be successful against him, you’ll need to play at a high level. My reasoning has not shifted, and I will continue to compete to win. There may be only one match, but we will have to check. It turned out to be a very pleasant surprise, as the third round of Roland Garros went pretty well. I have high hopes that the same will be possible here.
I know it’s going to be hard on the pitch, it’s going to be hard to focus on just playing.
Gilles Simon
And before what was maybe the last match of his career, Simon did not hide a certain trepidation, even if he had communicated to us, even a few days earlier, already his anxieties. “This causes significantly more stress than is typical. In any event, it was the way it worked at home no matter where it was played—at Roland-Garros, in the Davis Cup, or anywhere else. There are games in which a more natural progression of events takes place. I am aware that it will be challenging out on the field, and that it will be challenging to keep my attention solely on the game. Therefore, I believe that the current state that I am in really represents that.»
Read more about the stars and challenges at Bercy here: Djokovic, Nadal, Alcaraz, and Auger-Aliassime.
The former world number six, who has a particularly serious tone to his voice, is approaching his farewell competition in unclear physical form: “I became sick after my first ride (in Brest Editor’s note) last week. I had a game on Thursday, and even though I was doing well, I was hacking up a lung at every point. It was a very unpleasant experience. I became aware that my back was beginning to pain. In addition, I had an eventful evening behind me. I reasoned with myself that if I returned there on Friday for the quarterfinals in the same state, it could perhaps make the situation much more difficult. Following that, and it’s been quite a few years now, there is always this worry of not being able to appear due to a physical ailment in every match, every tournament, and every objective that there is. I am aware of it, and there will be no adjustments made for this competition.
If he wins, that’s fantastic. If it ever stops, that’s wonderful too.
Cedric Pioline
It has been confirmed by the director of the tournament, Cédric Pioline, that a ceremony will take place to pay tribute to the successful career of the 37-year-old, who has won 14 titles on the circuit. “I think it’s great that he can somehow choose the time and place where he will end this great career,” Pioline said. “I think it’s great that he can choose the time and place where he will play his final match.” The Tournament Management and the Federation agree regarding the significance of paying tribute to our past great champions. At the very least 15 years had passed since it was placed there. Because of the draw, he now faces a formidable adversary in the match. It would be wonderful if he were to win. If it ever ends, it would be fantastic as well. There will be a ceremony, something that will ultimately be done to celebrate this occasion when it arrives. He has a voice. I do not doubt that a good number of his kin will be present.