| Full Name: | Gilles Simon |
| Born: | December 27, 1984 |
| Birthplace: | Nice, France |
| Height: | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Residence: | Neuchatel, Switzerland |
| Weight: | 154 lbs (70 kg) |
| Plays: | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Turned Pro: | 2002 |
| Coach: | Thierry Tulasne |
Personal
Began playing tennis at age six...Nickname is Gilou...As a junior, he was inspired by Michael Chang, saying, "He showed me that you don't have to be tall in order to be a great player"...Father, Daniel, works for an insurance company while mother Mireille is a doctor...Older brother Jean-Marie is an engineer...Favorite French player all-time is Cedric Pioline...Hobbies include video games, rollerblading and movies...His girlfriend, Carine Lauret, gave birth to son, Timothée, on 2 September 2010…
Considers his backhand his best shot...Friends on tour include fellow Frenchmen Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Josselin Ouanna...If he could choose a tournament to win one day it would be Roland Garros...As a kid, always dreamed of playing on a packed center court...Best moment in his career thus far is beating No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of Madrid in October 2008...Fitness trainer is Paul Quetin and coached by former ATP pro Thierry Tulasne.
Considers his backhand his best shot...Friends on tour include fellow Frenchmen Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Josselin Ouanna...If he could choose a tournament to win one day it would be Roland Garros...As a kid, always dreamed of playing on a packed center court...Best moment in his career thus far is beating No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of Madrid in October 2008...Fitness trainer is Paul Quetin and coached by former ATP pro Thierry Tulasne.
Career Highlights
2010 -- The Frenchman posted fifth straight Top 50 finish despite being limited to just four events in first half of year due to a right knee injury…Was 0-4 in ATP action before returning in June…In first stop back reached QF in Eastbourne and 3rd RD at Wimbledon (l. to Murray)…Best results came from a title in Metz (d. Kohlschreiber, Zverev), 500 level events with QFs in Washington (l. to Nalbandian) and Beijing (l. to Djokovic) and SF in Valencia (l. to Granollers)…Won pair of dead rubbers as France reached Davis Cup final…Compiled 19-13 mark on hard, 3-2 on grass and 1-2 on clay courts.
2009 -- The No. 3 Frenchman (behind No. 10 Tsonga, No. 13 Monfils) finished in Top 15 for second straight year capturing his sixth career ATP World Tour title…Advanced to his first Grand Slam QF at Australian Open (l. to champion Nadal)…Reached back-to-back SFs in Marseille (l. to Llodra) and Dubai (l. to champion Djokovic)…Davis Cup debut against Czech Republic and losing to Berdych and Stepanek in France’s 3-2 first round loss in Ostrava…On clay, made personal-best 3rd RD at Roland Garros (l. to Hanescu)…On grass, had career-best 4th RD at Wimbledon (l. to Ferrero)…In October, won first ATP World Tour title of season in Bangkok, first of career in Asia, defeating Serbian No. 2 Troicki in straight sets…Went 1-6 vs. Top 10 opponents (d. No. 8 Davydenko) and compiled marks of 34-15 on hard, 7-10 on clay and 4-2 on grass…Surpassed $1 million for second straight year.
2008 -- The No. 2 Frenchman (behind Tsonga) won three ATP titles in four finals and broke into Top 10...It was first time since 1986 two Frenchmen finished in Top 10 (No. 4 Yannick Noah, No. 6 Henri Leconte)...Led ATP circuit with 14 match wins after losing the first set...After a 13-12 record through mid-May, finished with a 38-15 mark...
In February, reached QF in Marseille (l. to Mathieu) and SF in Rotterdam (l. to Soderling)...Won Casablanca title as a qualifier (d. Bennteau)...In July, won Indianapolis title (d. Tursunov) and a week later advanced to his first AMS SF in Toronto (d. Federer, l. to Kiefer)...Following 3rd RD showings at Beijing Olympics (l. to Blake) and US Open (l. to del Potro in five sets), returned to clay in Bucharest and repeated title (d. Moya)...
In October, reached first AMS final in Madrid (d. No. 1 Nadal in SF, l. to Murray) to break into Top 10 (No. 16 to No. 10)...Followed with SF in Lyon (l. to Soderling), 3rd RD at AMS Paris (l. to Roddick) and closed with debut at Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai where reached SF (l. to Djokovic)...One of three players (Murray, Roddick) to beat top trio of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic during season...Compiled marks of 32-18 on hard, 12-6 on clay and 4-2 on grass and went 4-8 vs. Top 10 opponents...Played most tournaments (29) among Top 10...Surpassed $1 million for first time.
2007 -- Finished as No. 3 Frenchman (behind No. 8 Gasquet, No. 25 Mathieu) highlighted by his first two ATP titles -- Marseille (d. Baghdatis) and Bucharest (d. Hanescu) and 35 match wins...In March, reached 3rd RD at AMS Indian Wells with win over No. 7 Robredo (l. to Chela)...On clay at AMS Rome, defeated No. 10 Murray and Canas (l. to Robredo)...Compiled a 17-8 mark after Wimbledon with QF in Bastad (l. to Ferrer), Umag (d. No. 4 Davydenko, l. to Canas) and New Haven (d. No. 4 Davydenko, l. to Mathieu), SF in Sopot and winner in Bucharest (d. Hanescu)...Went 4-5 vs. Top 10 opponents...Compiled marks of 18-10 on clay, 14-11 on hard and 2-3 on grass...
2006 -- Reached first ATP final in Valencia (l. to Almagro) and won 24 matches, 18 more than previous year...In first tournament at New Caledonia Challenger, captured title (d. deVoest) and followed at Australian Open with wins over Massu and Berdych before losing to T. Johansson in 3rd RD, a Grand Slam-best showing...Then returned to Challenger play at Andrezieux in France and reached final (l. to Elseneer)...
2009 -- The No. 3 Frenchman (behind No. 10 Tsonga, No. 13 Monfils) finished in Top 15 for second straight year capturing his sixth career ATP World Tour title…Advanced to his first Grand Slam QF at Australian Open (l. to champion Nadal)…Reached back-to-back SFs in Marseille (l. to Llodra) and Dubai (l. to champion Djokovic)…Davis Cup debut against Czech Republic and losing to Berdych and Stepanek in France’s 3-2 first round loss in Ostrava…On clay, made personal-best 3rd RD at Roland Garros (l. to Hanescu)…On grass, had career-best 4th RD at Wimbledon (l. to Ferrero)…In October, won first ATP World Tour title of season in Bangkok, first of career in Asia, defeating Serbian No. 2 Troicki in straight sets…Went 1-6 vs. Top 10 opponents (d. No. 8 Davydenko) and compiled marks of 34-15 on hard, 7-10 on clay and 4-2 on grass…Surpassed $1 million for second straight year.
2008 -- The No. 2 Frenchman (behind Tsonga) won three ATP titles in four finals and broke into Top 10...It was first time since 1986 two Frenchmen finished in Top 10 (No. 4 Yannick Noah, No. 6 Henri Leconte)...Led ATP circuit with 14 match wins after losing the first set...After a 13-12 record through mid-May, finished with a 38-15 mark...
In February, reached QF in Marseille (l. to Mathieu) and SF in Rotterdam (l. to Soderling)...Won Casablanca title as a qualifier (d. Bennteau)...In July, won Indianapolis title (d. Tursunov) and a week later advanced to his first AMS SF in Toronto (d. Federer, l. to Kiefer)...Following 3rd RD showings at Beijing Olympics (l. to Blake) and US Open (l. to del Potro in five sets), returned to clay in Bucharest and repeated title (d. Moya)...
In October, reached first AMS final in Madrid (d. No. 1 Nadal in SF, l. to Murray) to break into Top 10 (No. 16 to No. 10)...Followed with SF in Lyon (l. to Soderling), 3rd RD at AMS Paris (l. to Roddick) and closed with debut at Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai where reached SF (l. to Djokovic)...One of three players (Murray, Roddick) to beat top trio of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic during season...Compiled marks of 32-18 on hard, 12-6 on clay and 4-2 on grass and went 4-8 vs. Top 10 opponents...Played most tournaments (29) among Top 10...Surpassed $1 million for first time.
2007 -- Finished as No. 3 Frenchman (behind No. 8 Gasquet, No. 25 Mathieu) highlighted by his first two ATP titles -- Marseille (d. Baghdatis) and Bucharest (d. Hanescu) and 35 match wins...In March, reached 3rd RD at AMS Indian Wells with win over No. 7 Robredo (l. to Chela)...On clay at AMS Rome, defeated No. 10 Murray and Canas (l. to Robredo)...Compiled a 17-8 mark after Wimbledon with QF in Bastad (l. to Ferrer), Umag (d. No. 4 Davydenko, l. to Canas) and New Haven (d. No. 4 Davydenko, l. to Mathieu), SF in Sopot and winner in Bucharest (d. Hanescu)...Went 4-5 vs. Top 10 opponents...Compiled marks of 18-10 on clay, 14-11 on hard and 2-3 on grass...
2006 -- Reached first ATP final in Valencia (l. to Almagro) and won 24 matches, 18 more than previous year...In first tournament at New Caledonia Challenger, captured title (d. deVoest) and followed at Australian Open with wins over Massu and Berdych before losing to T. Johansson in 3rd RD, a Grand Slam-best showing...Then returned to Challenger play at Andrezieux in France and reached final (l. to Elseneer)...
Year In Review
2011
Started the year ranked World No. 41...
On 15 January, he won his eighth ATP World Tour title at Sydney...Did not drop a set all tournament...Beat Troicki 75 76(4) in the final...Was the first French titlist in Sydney since Guy Forget in 1991 (d. Stich)...
Made a 2nd RD exit at the Australian Open (l. to No. 2 Federer)...
Reached QFs at Dubai (l. to Gasquet), ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Federer), Casablanca (l. to Starace), Estoril (l. to Raonic)...
Advanced to the Roland Garros 4th RD, beating No. 10 Fish in the 3rd RD...Fell to No. 5 Soderling...Reached the Wimbledon 3rd RD (l. to del Potro)...
On 24 July, as World No. 18, Simon won his second ATP World Tour title of the year at Hamburg...Beat No. 14 Almagro 64 46 64 in the final...Was the first French titlist at Hamburg since Henri Leconte in 1986 (d. Mecir)...On 25 July, he rose to World No. 11...
On 15 January, he won his eighth ATP World Tour title at Sydney...Did not drop a set all tournament...Beat Troicki 75 76(4) in the final...Was the first French titlist in Sydney since Guy Forget in 1991 (d. Stich)...
Made a 2nd RD exit at the Australian Open (l. to No. 2 Federer)...
Reached QFs at Dubai (l. to Gasquet), ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Federer), Casablanca (l. to Starace), Estoril (l. to Raonic)...
Advanced to the Roland Garros 4th RD, beating No. 10 Fish in the 3rd RD...Fell to No. 5 Soderling...Reached the Wimbledon 3rd RD (l. to del Potro)...
On 24 July, as World No. 18, Simon won his second ATP World Tour title of the year at Hamburg...Beat No. 14 Almagro 64 46 64 in the final...Was the first French titlist at Hamburg since Henri Leconte in 1986 (d. Mecir)...On 25 July, he rose to World No. 11...
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