Who is Gilles Simon? All the details on the French professional tennis player

Who is Gilles Simon? All the details on the French professional tennis player

Helix Odhiambo
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:16 PM

France has produced many top tennis players like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet, and Gaël Monfils. Gilles Simon also ranks among the most successful French tennis stars, having won 14 ATP titles. So, who is Gilles Simon? Get all details about the amazing athlete, including his retirement details.

Gilles Simon's age
Gilles Simon of France plays a forehand against Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain during the Men's Singles 1st Round match in the French Open at Roland Garros on 24th May 2022, in Paris. Photo: Ryan Pierse
Source: Getty Images

The French star turned pro in 2002 and has enjoyed a 20-year career in the ATP circuit. He played his 898th and final match on 3rd November 2022. His records and achievements prove his unique talent and dedication to the sport.

Gilles Simon's profile

Full name

Gilles Simon

Date of birth

27 December 1984

Age

37 (as of November 2022)

Birthplace

Nice, France

Nationality

France

Height

1.83 m

Weight

70 kg

Hair colour

Brown

Eye colour

Black

Parents

Daniel, Mireille Simon

Brother

Jean-Marie

Wife

Carine Lauret

Sons

Timothée, Valentin

Profession

Former tennis player

Turned pro

2002

Retired

2022

Best hand

Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Highest ATP world ranking

6th (5 January 2009)

Net worth

$12 Million

Social media

Instagram, Twitter

Gilles Simon biography

Simon started playing tennis at six with the support of his parents, Daniel and Mireille. The tennis star competed in a few matches in the ITF Junior Circuit and started playing lower-level professional events around 16. He grew up alongside his supportive brother, Jean-Marie.

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How tall is Gilles Simon?

How tall is Gilles Simon?
G. Simon celebrates against Taylor Fritz of the USA in the 2nd round of the Rolex Paris Masters tennis at Palais Omnisports de Bercy on 2nd November 2022, in Paris, France. Photo: Quality Sport
Source: Getty Images

Gilles Simon's age is 37 as of November 2022. He is 1.83 m (6'0") tall and weighs 70 kg (154lbs). His hair colour is brown and his eyes black.

Who is Gilles Simon's partner?

Gilles Simon's wife is called Carine Lauret. She used to work as a communication intern with Bouygues Construction from 2007 to 2009. Carine met her husband when she was 24. They dated for a year before the French star asked her to leave her job to follow him in tournaments worldwide. However, after a few years of exploring the world, Carine returned to Paris to work.

"At the beginning, I liked it very much," Carine told L'Equipe (via Pure People). "Gilles allowed me to discover the world. Beautiful places, beautiful hotels, life without constraints, without cooking, without cleaning." Carine said.

Gilles Simon's family

Gilles Simon's wife
G. Simon's wife Carine Lauret (second row from front) and their sons Timothee and Valentin (on her right) during the 2022 French Open at Stade Roland Garros on May 25 2022 in Paris. Photo: John Berry
Source: Getty Images

The tennis star lives with his wife and two sons in Paris. Their eldest son is called Timothée, while Valentin is the last born. In November 2020, Gilles revealed that his son, Timothée, is a fan of Roger Federer, while his wife prefers Rafael Nadal.

"My wife has always been a big Nadal fan, and of course, my son's became her too. Then – in 2017 – Federer defeated Nadal in five sets in the final of the Australian Open. My son Timothée was angry, scolded why we talked him into Nadal when Federer was better!" Gilles Simons said.

Gilles' tennis career

The French athlete turned professional in 2002 and won his first title in Lisbon, Portugal, in June 2003. In 2004, he recorded three victories in France and another in Algeria. Gilles also made his ATP tour debut in Metz, France, in 2004. He won his first Challenger tournament in Noumea, New Caledonia, in January 2005.

The right-handed tennis star made his Grand Slam debut in the 2005 French Open, playing in the first round against Olivier Patience. However, he lost the match in four sets. Later, he reached his first-ever ATP Tour final in Valencia in 2006 but unfortunately lost to Nicolas Almagro.

In 2007, Gilles won his first ATP title after defeating Marcus Baghdatis in the Open 13 final in Marseille, France. He bagged his second title in September same year, at the BCR Open Romania in Bucharest, Romania.

Gilles Simon's ranking
French star Gilles Simon with the 2007 Open 13 title he won in Marseille on 18th February 2007. Photo: Icon Sport
Source: Getty Images

The father of two also reached the quarterfinal of the Australian Open in 2009 and Wimbledon in 2015. He made it to the semis of the 2008 Tour Finals. Gilles reached the 4th round of the French Open in 2011, 2013, and 2015. He reached the 4th round of the US Open in 2011 and 2014. Gilles also qualified for the 3rd round of the Olympic Games in 2008 and 2012.

Unfortunately, his form started dropping while he struggled to maintain his status. In 2017, he won 16 matches and lost 25, therefore finishing outside the top 50 for the first time since 2005. Fortunately, he bounced back in 2018 and won his 14th and last ATP Tour title, defeating Matthias Bachinger in the Moselle Open final in Metz.

Is Gilles Simon retiring?

Gilles Simon's retirement
G. Simon (3rd from right) alongside his family, friends and Canada's Felix Auger after playing his last match at Palais Omnisports de Bercy on 3rd November 2022, in Paris, France. Photo: Julian Finney
Source: Getty Images

News about Gilles Simon's retirement shocked most of his fans, who expected to see him remain longer on the court. The tennis star played his last game at the Masters 1000 event in Paris, where he lost 6-1, 6-3, to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round on 3rd November 2022. He made it to the round after eliminating Andy Murray and Taylor Fritz in the first and second rounds, respectively.

Gilles Simon vs Andy Murray

Gilles Simon vs Andy Murray
G. Simon of France with Andy Murray of Great Britain after the first round of the Rolex Paris Masters tennis at Palais Omnisports de Bercy on 31st October 2022, in Paris, France. Photo: Julian Finney
Source: Getty Images

Simon's victory over Murray is one of the key highlights of the final stages of his career. The French international knocked out British sensation Andy Murray 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, to advance to the next phase. Murray is considered one of the greatest tennis players in history. However, his recent poor performance has seen him drop to 46 in the world ATP ranking.

Playing style

The tennis star is known for playing the counter-punching style. Gilles relies on his incredible speed around the court. He also uses his double-handed backhand with his right hand.

Gilles Simon's ranking

The Nice-born star achieved his highest rank in the singles competition in 2009 (6th). Meanwhile, he finished his career at position 147. He managed 504 wins and 394 defeats in his singles career. He is the third-best Frenchman with the most career wins in history.

Player

Career wins

Richard Gasquet

588

Gael Monfils

525

Gilles Simon

504

Yannick Noah

482

Fabrice Santoro

470

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

467

Cedric Pioline

389

Guy Forget

378

Henri Leconte

377

Sebastien Grosjean

341

ATP titles

The athlete has won 14 ATP tour titles, including the 2017 Davis Cup. Other major titles include the Romanian Open, the Indianapolis Tennis Championships, the Thailand Open, and the Sydney Invitational.

Gilles Simon's net worth

The tennis star has an estimated net worth of $12 million. Gilles has earned more than $13 million in prize money in his career. In December 2021, he was ranked among the top 35 wealthiest tennis players globally.

You now know who Gilles Simon is and what he has achieved in his tennis career. Meanwhile, he will have more time to spend with his wife and their two sons after retiring from the sport.

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Authors
Helix Odhiambo photo
Helix Odhiambo
Helix Odhiambo is an award-winning Kenyan journalist and content creator with over 6 years of experience. In 2016, he won the Goal Blaze Correspondent Award for young writers.