Gilles Simon Biography

Gilles Simon (born December 27, 1984 in Nice) is a French professional tennis player. He is a six time winner on the ATP Tour. Simon is one of the three men in 2008 to beat Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic since they assumed No.1, No.2 and No.3 positions; the others being Andy Roddick and Andy Murray. His coach is French tennis veteran Thierry Tulasne.


Simon was born into a family with no involvement in sport, with his mother being a doctor and his father working in insurance. Supported by his parents, he started playing tennis at the age of 6. He progressed considerably as a teenager as he started to compete in junior tournaments in France. He cites Michael Chang as a major influence, as his comparatively small frame proved that size wasn't an important factor in playing tennis.