Richard Gasquet, winner of the Kingfisher Open 2007, launched his own foundation at the Open 13 in Marseille on Tuesday.
The Richard Gasquet Foundation will operate in two ways: use sport to bring underprivileged youths back to health and enable them rediscover the joys of life, and use sport as a way to build a future.
"I want to be able to achieve success on the court without cutting myself off from the rest of the world. Top class sportsmen should not live in an isolated world -- they should feel concerned by the world that surrounds them and try and help others," said Gasquet.
Prior to the creation of his foundation, Gasquet had taken part in numerous educational initiatives under the guise of the Jean-Luc Lagardere Foundation. And now with the launch of his own foundation, he hopes to invest himself even further in such initiatives.
At 21 years of age, and No. 7 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Gasquet has primarily chosen to help adolescents who struggle to find their place in society and suffer from lack of confidence.
"I had the luck of being surrounded by people that enabled me to play tennis well from a very early age. I'm aware that this is not the case for everyone. Yet everybody has a certain talent and potential that needs developing."
With an initial operational budget of 200,000 Euros over three years, the Foundation will work under the support of Gasquet, the Jean-Luc Lagardere Foundation and other partners.
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