“He will crush me 100%”, Monfils defeated before facing Alcaraz

Faller of Ugo Humbert in the 3rd round of the Shanghai Masters 1000 this Tuesday, Gaël Monfils put up a good showing against Carlos Alcaraz in the round of 16. If the Frenchman won their last match in Cincinnati this summer, he believes that the Spaniard is much too strong.

“I think he’s going to beat me. He’s going to crush me 100%.” Qualified for the round of 16 of the Masters 1000 in Shanghai after his victory in the French duel against Ugo Humbert (7-6, 2-6, 6-1), Gaël Monfils is convinced that his next match will be the last in China. And for good reason, the 38-year-old veteran will face Carlos Alcaraz, world number 2 and just winner of the ATP 500 in Beijing. The match will take place on Wednesday in the second rotation on center court, around 8 a.m. French time.

If the Spaniard leads 2-1 in their confrontations, the Frenchman won their last duel, in August in Cincinnati after a formidable fight (4-6, 7-6, 6-4). A match where Monfils “was very lucky” according to his own admission, his opponent not being in the form of his life at that time.

“This kid comes from somewhere else”

At only 21 years old, the Spaniard is having an excellent season (48 wins, 9 losses). Second in the Race and qualified for the end-of-year Masters in Turin, he won four titles in 2024, including two Grand Slams (Roland-Garros and Wimbledon) and won the silver medal at the Olympic Games, beaten by Novak Djokovic.

“His level is incredible. I also did a good job myself, but he is, as I say, becoming a legend,” continued Gaël Monfils. “So I guess he’ll crush me, but like I say, I’ll do everything not to get crushed too easily, in a way. That’s a bonus for me. I have the experience and I can honestly say, this kid is something! So honestly, there’s a 99% chance for him, but just having 1%, you know, that’s what we’re going for. I’m going to have fun, but as a sincere man, I tell you, no, this kid comes from somewhere else.”