As top moments go it is probably hard for this amiable and intelligent Frenchman to match the two weeks in 2001 when he captained his nation to a surprise victory in the Davis Cup final against Australia, in Melbourne, on grass. He returned to the Northern Hemisphere and headed to London’s Royal Albert Hall to win The Honda Challenge, which in those days acted as a precursor to the BlackRock Masters Tennis.

Forget amazed himself by his resilience and it was a magnificent effort, but amongst the senior fraternity he remains one of the fittest and most determined of players. Now with his 43rd birthday just a month away, he still looks in fine fettle although he will maintain an ankle injury ended his career on the ATP Tour a decade ago. These days, competitive tennis figures well down his list of commitments but whenever he gets onto the court, as his reaching the final of this year’s Trophée Jean-Luc Lagardère in Paris proved, he is never less than competitive.

He served the role of Tournament Director at that tournament and Forget is most definitely not a man who shies away from responsibility. He has served as France’s Davis Cup captain since retiring from the Tour, doubled-up as Fed Cup captain for several years, and plays a major role in the structure of the nation’s tennis future. When it comes to youth tennis, he knows what he is talking about after winning the French Open junior title a quarter of a century ago and still keeps a close eye on his country’s emergent talent. Comparing it to the plight of Britain he observed: "For every 1,000 kids we help in France between the ages of 12 and 14, the UK probably helps 50. So, we have so many more players. I know Britain has the same kind of income as France because of Wimbledon, but not a lot is done for kids in the UK".

Off the court he is an educated collector of fine wine – and enjoys drinking it on occasions in a select band that includes former Wimbledon champion Amelie Maursemo. He is also a complete devotee of surfing and recently began sharing his passion with the French World Cup-winning left-back, Bixente Lizarazu. The pair have summer houses close together near Biarritz but also like to take a few trips each year to exotic locations such as Tahiti, Indonesia or Mauritius in search of the perfect wave.