Santoro calls time after Paris exit
Reuters - Sun, 08 Nov 16:43:00 2009
Frenchman Fabrice Santoro pulled the curtain on a remarkable and atypical career by losing to American James Blake in the first round of the Paris Masters.
The oldest player on the men's circuit, Santoro, who will turn 37 next month, confirmed after a 6-4 6-3 defeat that he was now retiring.
"I've had lots of fun but now it is time to take a break," he said after his 15th and final Paris Masters appearance.
The pocket-sized Santoro, once nicknamed "the magician" by Pete Sampras for his habit of mystifying bigger, stronger opponents, had earlier suggested he might play the Australian Open in January before bowing out.
Had he done so, he would have recorded the remarkable feat of competing in at least one Grand Slam tournament during each of four decades: the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.
This site is Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! and Eurosport. All rights reserved.
- Terms of Service
- Updated Privacy Policy
- Copyright/IP Policy
- Remarks and Suggestions
- Corporate info
- Jobs at Eurosport
Notice: We collect personal information on this site. To learn more about how we use your information, see our Privacy Policy.
Comment 1 - 9 of 9
Enjoyed his play/great technique - as I've said in free-online verse (yahoo me).
Fabrice has weeks to think about playing the Australian Open, so hopefully he still will. Otherwise, why not the French Open?
There aren't that many players who have been ranked outside the top 30 for the majority of their tennis careers that have been as beloved and as well known as Santoro was. I believe that's the truest measure of how special he was to fans and to the sport itself.
What’s even more special is that he accomplished this feat not so much by having obnoxious, loud cheering supporters corner his every match like some players tend to have today, but he did it with crafty, cunning, skillful tennis which polished off his racket so effortlessly from unbelievable corners of the court where the shot itself seem unthinkable. And he did this all with true class and sportsmanship.
This is how he gained greatness in the game and this is what has adorned him to so many passionate fans from all over the world.
If Santoro has taught us anything I believe it is the sentiment that says it does not matter how many Grand Slams or titles you win or don’t win or even if you are ranked number 1 or number 1000 in the game. What matters most is the gentlemanly way he went about his game. Not the one to be seen holding trophies aloft his head at the end of the tournaments but the one who continuously held his head high and proud even in defeat. That’s what we remember and that’s what is most important!!!
Fabrice will always be an icon to the game and he will always be missed. Tennis lost another well beloved player today and for that we should always be grateful for what he has given to us fans and to the sport itself.
Simply, Santoro has been a class act throughout his career. I wish him well for whatever path he chooses to follow in his life after tennis.
A true gentleman and an inspiration.
A truly fantastic ambassador for the sport of Tennis. I've had the immense privilege of watching him 24 times on a Tennis court, & on every single occasion I've had above average value for money!
Enjoy your retirement from top class Tennis Fabrice, you are one of the very few gentlemen & true sportmen of our generation.
IT WOULD BE QUITE A FEAT PLAYING GRAND SLAMS IN 4 DIFFERENT DECADES!!
Maybe he will think again about playing in the Australian!
Truly gutted not to be seeing the great Santoro again, tears in my eyes!
There can be only one Magician! You will be missed Santoro!
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account