ATP: Goodbye, Mathieu!

Paul-Henri Mathieu has said goodbye to the professional stage at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Paris-Bercy. In a video for the series ATP World Tour Uncovered, the Frenchman reviews his eventful career.

With his magnificent two-handed backhand, Paul-Henri Mathieu conquered not only the hearts of French tennis fans in 2002. The double strike from Moscow and Lyon, when PHM triumphed at two indoor tournaments in a row, gave rise to hopes that the now 35-year-old could never fully live up to.

Two more titles in Gstaad and Casablanca (both in 2007) are remarkable, but less injury would have left the former twelfth place on the World Ranking List, but a much longer list of successes. When I was 12, I wanted to go to ten. If you’re the ten, you’re hoping for the five – that goes on and on,”said Mathieu after his last individual appearance in the Qualy final against Vasek Pospisil.

Now the father of two wants to dedicate himself completely to the family. With a child, he was able to manage professional life quite reasonably, but since the birth of his daughter Ines in March, this had become “too complicated”.

By the way: Paul-Henri Mathieu was inspired by a German tennis risk. Here you can find out who it is.