As he waved goodbye to an adoring Parisian public on October 28th, 2017, Paul-Henri Mathieu cut an emotional, but satisfied figure. Having lost to Vasek Pospisil in the final round of qualifying for the Paris Masters, “PHM” (as he is otherwise known) could now reflect on his odds-defying career with a tally of four ATP World Tour titles, and a career-high ranking of #12 in the world. Nonetheless, despite his on-court achievements, many would credit his dedication to get back onto court after a complicated knee operation in 2010 as the Frenchman’s greatest success. As a sportsman and character, PHM will be sorely missed on the ATP World Tour. His will and determination made him a fan-favourite at his home Grand Slam, Roland Garros, and around the world.LastWordOnTennis looks back at Mathieu’s career, and examines what made him such an admirable athlete and person.

Early disappointments

Paul-Henri Mathieu made his professional debut in 1999, at the tender age of 17. It took the young Frenchman a while to adapt to the conditions of the professional game. His powerful groundstrokes and athleticism were suited to clay courts, and at Roland Garros in 2002, Mathieu had his first big breakthrough, setting up a fourth round clash with American legend, Andre Agassi. Going into the match, the level of expectation, even from the patriotic French crowd, was one of nervous optimism, as opposed to confidence that Mathieu could pull off an upset. Nonetheless, as would be the case throughout his career, PHM proved the doubters wrong. He stormed to a