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Monfils Intends To Play Beyond 2024
2 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
Gael Monfils is showing this week in Toronto at the ATP National Bank Open that he has plenty of fire and fuel left in his competitive tank.
Now 36 and ranked 276, Monfils has struck gold this week in Canada by defeating Wimbledon quarterfinalist Christopher Eubanks 76 67 61 and world no. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas 64 63.
In the round of 16 Monfils will face Lucky Loser Aleksandar Vukic, ranked 62. Vukic has beaten Borna Coric and Sebastian Korda in Toronto.
With his disappointing 3-6 record on the year, the charismatic veteran from France hinted that he isn’t even close to retirement. At one of his press conferences this week, Monfils was asked about the possibility of playing mixed doubles at a Grand Slam with his wife Elina Svitolina.
Monfils’ response was revealing. “You know, why not to play once a mixed double? Why not? But the thing is you know, it’s tough for me to play singles and doubles. But I feel like when it will be the end, I will try to double up. And hopefully it’s not next year!”
Did you catch that? Monfils says he likes the idea of playing mixed doubles with his wife but it won’t be this year or next year in 2024. So that means maybe in 2025 or beyond.
And for the multitude of fans of the sensational, 11-times ATP singles champion Monfils, it’s a very good, positive news that this showman hopes to and intends to keep competing beyond 2024.
But in order to do so Monfils will need to stay healthy and continue to keep winning a lot of matches to rebuild his ranking. And by the winning form and competitive spirit he exhibited this week in Toronto, that looks like a very plausible possibility.
More from Monfils:
Q. Two big back-to-back wins over Eubanks and now Tsitsipas. How does that affect what you feel you can still accomplish and what confidence does that give you moving forward this season and, hopefully, beyond this season?
GAEL MONFILS: I would say when I almost 100 percent and I feel great, you know, I have a lot of practice behind me and can practice weeks to weeks and play, you know, even tournament after tournament, I be always a tough opponent. That’s why I still play, because I still believe I can be tough for those guys out there.
You know, and I’m just happy that, you know, I made it through those weeks, more or less, let’s say, with a little bit of body soreness and everything. But I really want to keep pushing my body and my mind for this week, and, obviously, for the next week coming up.
Because I won’t lie. What is tough for me is play weeks after weeks after weeks. And so far it’s okay. But I really hope I can keep doing that for couple more weeks. And then it’s too far for me next year.
ATP Toronto · Gael Monfils · National Bank Open
Cory · August 11, 2023 at 12:42 pm
Monfils has frustrated me as a fan (and endlessly as a bettor), but I won’t hate on him nor and paint him with a broad brush (wasted talent, lack of consistency & heart), because ultimately he’s happy – he is doing what he loves, he has entertained and impressed, he has had some success winning titles, been top 10, made plenty of money, and now is in love. Some talents don’t have the heart to be the ruthless tennis mountain-climber in the exact ways that we presume. For him, the ultimate success might not be championing #1 and GS titles, but being in the moment, being happy, doing things his way…
Other incredibly talented underachievers that come to mind, like Kyrgios, Fognini, seem to be angry, bitter at times. IDK. Maybe the underachieving gets to the latter two way more.
I digress surely.
Scoop Malinowski · August 11, 2023 at 5:57 pm
Cory, Monfils is an intriguing player. Doesn’t seem to be driven to be the best but he loves to play the game, he has a pure love of tennis. Loves to play more than he loves to win maybe? Loves the process of playing and hitting shots that excite himself and the crowds. There’s a reason he draws big crowds and can sway US Open fans to cheer for him over an American like Isner on Armstrong like what happened once. I don’t see Fognini or Kyrgios as ever bitter about the game, they just despise losing, particularly against players they know they should beat.