AOne of the things that’s been certain about any event held almost anywhere in the world over the past 20 years is that whenever Gaël Monfils plays, there will be fans present. After all, tennis is an entertainment sport and there are few greater performers than the 37-year-old. He is one of the purest athletes in the sport, displaying tremendous skill, feel and showmanship. At his best, Monfils makes tennis look so easy.
But the French insist this is not the case. Especially in the last years of his career: “[People say] “Ah, Monfils didn’t follow the rules,” he said with a smile on the court at the Italian Open on the eve of the match. “Guys, don’t think so because I enjoy myself on the pitch. I do a lot of work out there.
Exactly a year ago, Monfils was at one of the lowest points of his career. For nearly two years, until last summer, he simply couldn’t stay healthy. Every time he takes the field, it seems like he comes off the court with a new injury. By May last year, Monfils’ ranking had dropped to 394th. His goal of qualifying for the Olympics in his native Paris has been dashed.
These struggles forced Monfils to do some serious soul-searching. He has had in-depth conversations with his team, family and wife Elina Svitolina about the future, and he continually thanks the Ukrainian former world number three for pushing him forward. When many of his contemporaries, such as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gilles Simon, stopped playing the racket, he needed to answer questions about his career mortality.
“Sometimes, I’m not going to lie, I’m a little skeptical,” he said. “I’m a little old. I hurt myself. You need to do all this [work]. It’s not easy to get back here. Last year, I was at home trying to call people, “Hey, do you want to work with me?” People forget that I still have it, and you’re trying to convince people that you still have it. “Yes, but you are 37 years old…”
After training over the next few months, Monfils made an impressive return. He is now ranked 38th and is the oldest player in the top 50, and last year he became the fourth oldest player to win an ATP title since 1990.
The immense abilities and showmanship displayed by Monfils always spark discussion. He enjoyed an incredible career, reaching a career-high No. 6, spending most of his time inside the top 20, winning 12 titles while also reaching two Grand Slam semi-finals, but he He also faced numerous questions about his work ethics. Monfils couldn’t help but delve into the subject as he explained the challenges of returning from injury at the age of 37. The perception that he was lazy even affected his chances of finding a new coach.
“I’m lucky because some people [believed in me], but what about some people? Let’s say you don’t really know me and I call you and you’ve heard a lot of stories and you’ve seen my personality on the court.it’s too hard [to believe] When I tell you I get up at seven o’clock and run for two hours, I can do this work. like this. “Yes, I did.”
“Some people try to compare me and my wife. My wife looks very professional in a way and I look unprofessional in a way. But that’s not the case because I have my work ethic. I’m working. It’s fun, but ultimately, it doesn’t hurt me. The only thing I hope people never forget is that to be successful or whatever, you don’t have to listen to other people.
In addition to questions about his work ethic, Monfils was often considered an underachiever.For all his abilities, he has struggling Combines his tools with the necessary focus, shot selection and decision-making in the games that matter most his career. Some felt he failed to maximize his talents.
“[People] Want to maximize everyone’s potential,” he said with a smile. “No, it’s not like that. I don’t really care about it because when I was young, the only people who believed in me – and I hope they’re super proud now – were my parents. When I told them I wanted to be a tennis player when, where do I come from [people responded]: ‘what are you saying? My parents are laughing now in a way. [People say]: “You can win, you can have this.” I achieved my dream. When I was 11 years old, people asked, “What is your dream?” I would say to be in the top ten as a top professional tennis player. Don’t dream about me, don’t dream about me, don’t dream about me.
Life began to change for Monfils as he dealt with a series of injuries. In October 2022, Svitolina gave birth to their first child, Skaï. Monfils had the perfect inspiration for his own return as he watched his wife pull off one of the greatest comebacks in recent years. Just months after returning last year, Svitolina reached the French Open quarter-finals and Wimbledon semi-finals, defeating world number one Iga Swiatek, while establishing herself as Ukraine’s most famous status as one of the international players.
Newsletter Promotion Post
“I was surprised by her,” Monfils said. “She is pregnant, [then] Ukraine [Russia’s invasion] happened. This was a big blow to her. She had her baby and was very motivated early on to get back to the top of her game. Her work ethic, her discipline, her super involvement in Ukraine. She took on a lot of pressure to fight for herself, fight for her country, and be a good mother. To be able to have a family, a foundation, everything. Like, wow. Behind this girl, there is a strong woman and like I said, she is amazing.
Now that both are back competing and traveling the world, as well as caring for their young daughters with the rest of their families, life on tour will never be the same. “It’s a constant battle from tournament to tournament, and at home as soon as someone loses in a tournament you have to go back,” smiled Svitolina days after Monfils’ first-round defeat in Rome Then said.
“We don’t stay there to support each other and now we make Skye a priority. Now Gail, he lost in the first round so he has gone home. He spends time with her and looks after her. Now , it’s no longer our previous priority for each other.
Tennis was once the most important thing in Monfils’ life, and now his passion has become his driving force. He said he continued playing to pursue the feeling of playing in the biggest games on the biggest stages. In addition to the general popularity he accrued, the final years of his career also demonstrated his importance as one of the few outstanding black players to remain at the top of men’s tennis for a long time. Players such as his compatriot Arthur Fils and American Frances Tiafoe considered him an older brother and inspiration.
The next date on Monfils’ calendar happens to be the most important day of the year: a return appearance at the tournament of his life, the French Open, which he describes as his “playground”. With each year likely to be his last, Monfils will certainly take center stage at Roland Garros as he attempts to engineer a more memorable tournament. “I’m able to have some crazy emotions, some crazy memories,” he said. “I really hope I can do a few more things and then this chapter is over.”
