Fabrice Santoro exits the Australian Open in the first round

Fabrice Santoro had recently created the surprise He was set to compete in one final tournament at the Australian Open. He was ultimately beaten in three sets in the first round on Tuesday against Croatian Marin Cilic, the 14th seed. (7-5, 7-5, 6-3).

But at 37, Fabrice Santoro extended his record of Grand Slam tournament appearances to 70, spanning four decades, with his first major tournament appearance dating back to Roland-Garros in 1989. The Frenchman says he has no regrets but confirms that it was indeed his last appearance on the circuit, at least in singles.
" If a player asks me to play doubles, I might do it, but that doesn't mean I'm back on the tour." .

For the other French players, Tsonga, Monfils, and Benneteau advanced without too much trouble. Serra and Gicquel also qualified. Besides Santoro, Grosjean and Clément fell in the first round. In the women's draw, Marion Bartoli and Aravane Rezaï advanced.