We asked 5 questions to Grégory Gaultier (FRA) - Strong support for the event, World No. 1, world champion 2015 :
1. Greg, a question now usual : You are currently world No. 1 in 2017, world champion 2015, at soon 35 years old, almost 900 matches on the counter and soon 20 years of career ! But how far will you go ? What is your state of mind today ?
I intend to play again a few years, I do not know how many, I do not set an "exit date" yet. For the moment I'm making a very good 2017 start after a frustrating year in 2016 because of many injuries, I was back up like a pendulum after Christmas and really motivated to hand over the i's. As long as I manage the small physical problems, take pleasure in training and competing, I continue.
2. You are European champion in teams and you have 6 consecutive victories in international opens including the mythical British Open. Do you have time to think about the post-career ? Have you ideas of orientation ?
I do not think too much at the moment but I have some ideas. Either to stay in the squash to bring my experience and my knowledge or another kind of job, one of my partners has already proposed to me to work for him.
3. With this extraordinary record and a career of legend that any professional sportsman could envy, what was according to you the recipe? Do you think you had to adapt your game or your training as new players arrived ?
There is no real secret, you have to be rigorous, disciplined, always on the lookout for detail, well surrounded, work with the people you trust, get to adapt constantly, be fully informed and communicate with his team. I had to adapt my workouts over the years of course, on the one hand because I age so exercises where you preserve a maximum my body and also get to adapt with the new generation of players, scoring that also changed during my career etc...
4. Nantes has now become a place where French squash is represented on the professional circuit. We have also been keen for two years now to create a staging around this playful and spectacular sport. Did you hear about the event ? Can we imagine a day before the end of your career having a world champion in our venue ?
I saw a lot of images from last year's tournament and all the players and PSA members told me positive things, that the organization was outstanding I even looked at some Grégoire Marche's matches on PSASquashTV of whom semifinal and final of course. I would like to one day be part of your show, I would be very happy to play a PSA in France especially with this kind of organization and public.
5. You who have known everything at the highest level in the world, would you have advices to the organizers of an open which wants to differentiate themselves in the eyes of the public and satisfy the players ?
Satisfying the audience, you already do with the atmosphere you create. Then to satisfy the players, it is just that the player feels good and that he/sha has only to focus on its match, to play good squash. Putting everything at the disposal so that he/she is performing, suddenly it gives a better show for the public.
