Former World No. 6 Gilles Simon announced on social media on Saturday that he will retire at the end of the season.
Simon has enjoyed a long and successful career at the top level, lasting two decades. The Frenchman turned pro in 2002 but had to wait a couple of years before making his singles debut on the ATP Tour in Metz in October 2004 as a 19-year-old.
He blossomed at the same time as some of his more accomplished countrymen, such as Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Gael Monfils. They each made notable careers for themselves, with Tsonga recently announcing his retirement and Simon now following suit.
In a tweet, Simon referred to his tennis career as "magical, wonderful, and extraordinary," but like any adventure, it will come to an end at the end of the regular ATP season.
"It was a magical, wonderful, and extraordinary adventure. It will stop at the end of the year. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who made it possible. There is no sadness, no regret. Just the will to put everything I have left. On every game, until the end.”
At his pomp, Simon captured 14 Tour-level titles. The 37-year-old is a two-time quarterfinalist at the Grand Slam level, doing so at the 2009 Australian Open and 2015 Wimbledon. He also reached two ATP Masters 1000 finals in Madrid (2008) and Shanghai (2014) and peaked at a career-high ranking of No. 6.
Simon is currently on 498 ATP wins and will aim to become just the 11th active player to reach the 500-win mark between now and the end of the year. The other two Frenchmen who achieved this were Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils.
Once a stalwart of a counterpuncher, Simon finds himself outside the Top 100 and features mainly on the Challenger Tour, the ATP's second tier. He has lost his last six matches in a row upon confirming the news of his retirement at the end of the season.
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