A derby against Stan Wawrinka: Gaël Monfils feels “almost as much Swiss as French”

Opponent of Stan Wawrinka (ATP 95) this Wednesday at Wimbledon, Gaël Monfils (ATP 33) returned to his links with the Vaudois as well as those with his adopted country, Switzerland.

This is one of the most anticipated encounters of the second round at Wimbledon. Stan Wawrinka (39 years old) and Gaël Monfils (37 years old) face each other this Wednesday, late afternoon, on the London grass. A vintage Franco-Swiss duel that will above all pit two long-time friends against each other.

“It’s cool to play ‘Stan the man’. He’s my buddy, but more than that,” said the Tricolore, according to comments relayed by “L’Equipe”, Monday after his victory against his compatriot Adrian Mannarino (6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4). “Stan knows that I have a lot of admiration for him. He helped me a lot on a lot of things. Whatever happens, I know I’m going to have fun. He knows we’re going to have a laugh.”

This will be the seventh time in their careers that the two players have faced each other, with a perfect tie so far (three wins each). Their last face-off dates back to 2019, when Wawrinka lost in the final in Rotterdam. But in Grand Slam, the Vaudois remains undefeated in two duels against the Frenchman (at the Australian Open in 2011 and at Roland-Garros in 2017).

“Switzerland is a great country, I love living there”

This clash of veterans will also have the feel of a cantonal derby, as Monfils lives with his wife Elina Svitolina and his daughter on the shores of Lake Geneva on La Côte. “I’ve been living in Switzerland for 20 years. I’m almost as much Swiss as I am French,” joked the Paris native.

Before praising his adopted country: “We often talk about tax issues, but there is one thing that people really forget, it is that it is a great country. I love living there. They welcomed me well. I pay taxes in France, in Switzerland too, lower, certainly. But I have a good life, especially. There are plenty of French people who like what is happening in Switzerland. But that is not why I am going to forget my homeland. I am happy to represent my country.”