Tennis: At 43, Nicolas Mahut announces that he will retire at the end of the season

The Frenchman, who has won every Grand Slam doubles tournament, announced on Tuesday that he would retire from the tour at the end of the year.

Nicolas Mahut says stop. The French tennis player will retire at the end of the season, at the age of 43, putting an end to a career crowned with four singles titles and 37 doubles titles. "I have made the decision to end my career... We'll see when, at Bercy or at the US Open. If my body allows it and if I am invited, I would like to be able to finish in Paris (at the Rolex Paris Masters, in November) ," the doubles specialist announced Tuesday evening on the set of Eurosport, where he works as a consultant.

Long injured and having fallen to 329th in the world ranking in doubles (not ranked in singles), Mahut, who will return to competition at the Bordeaux Challenger (May 12-18), has never gone above 37th ATP ranking in singles (May 2015). "The injury kept me away from the courts a little longer than I initially thought. After a while, the decision is easy to make," he explained.

But he was a significant doubles player, reaching world number one in June 2016. He also won, along with Pierre-Hugues Herbert, all four Grand Slam tournaments: the US Open (2015), Wimbledon (2016), Roland-Garros (2018, 2021), and the Australian Open (2019). He also won the Masters twice (2019, 2021). He had not played singles since the Masters 1000 in Miami in March 2021, but had continued to play doubles, notably with France in the Davis Cup.

The Angevin will also be remembered as one of the protagonists of the longest match in history , lost against the American John Isner in the first round of Wimbledon 2010. This encounter was played over three days and lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes, ending with the river score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/3),... 70-68. A piece of tennis history in which the Frenchman participated.