Gaël Monfils’ adventure in the antipodes has come to an end. A little earlier than everyone had hoped after his series of eight victories, his title in Auckland and his very strong performance against Taylor Fritz. On Monday, the Frenchman finally turned 38 and after three sets, three tie-breaks and three hours of fighting in the stifling heat of Melbourne, he finally gave up. With a smile. Without any regrets.
Winner or defeated, he remains philosophical, attached to his approach of hindsight. Saturday, after beating Fritz, he assured him, his dream was not to win a Grand Slam. Neither this one nor another. There are things in his life, even more today than before, that are much more important. “Win this tournament? No, I don’t think I can do it, he confided. To be honest with you, it’s not even a dream. My dream is to be old, have many children and be healthy.”
Monfils, the secrets of its longevity
Video credit: Eurosport
I was already very close to the limit and unfortunately I crossed it
“He really understood life“, Paula Badosa reacted in particular to the Parisian’s comments. Now that he is eliminated, it is therefore not a dream that has ended. “As always, I’m happyhe assured, marked but still smiling. Always positive. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish the match, but I’m happy with the fact that I gave everything today. I’m happy with that.”
He didn’t want to end it and even less in this way, but Monfils didn’t have a drop of gasoline left in the cabin. He really went all out with what he could give. “Some days are harder than othershe said. Today was really difficult for me physically. I was already very close to the limit and unfortunately I crossed it. I had no energy and was in severe pain. If I had continued, I could have done something worse to myself.” From his morning training, he felt that his legs were responding less well. That he was “a little slower. A little more.“
“In the end, it was a long tour for merecalled the former world number 6. I played a lot of matches, a lot of hours playing. It happens to be at the end physically. But I’m still learning. I continue to learn from each experience.” Even if this match was played in a tight handkerchief for three sets, he did not have quite the same commitment as two days earlier against Fritz. Even if he had taken the third tie-break to leading two sets to one, one wonders if that would have changed anything.
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Video credit: Eurosport
The fruit of his education
Gaël Monfils left the Margaret Court Arena to the sound of “Thank you, Gaël!, Thank you, Gaël!“, and after a long hug with the entire Ben Shelton clan, including his father and coach, former player Bryan Shelton. Melbourne will regret it but he regrets nothing. Philosopher, to the end.
“It’s just life that matters, continues the Parisian. My parents raised me like that. I always say I know where I come from. I know how my parents raised me, what values they instilled in me. When you play sports, you have to be happy, because we have the chance to play sports. Of course, above all, it’s my job, but it’s a chance to do the job you love. Sports. Blah blah blah. So you always have to keep that in mind and when you give your all, you have to be happy. I owe that to my parents.”
Gaël Monfils is still in the running in Melbourne, since his wife, Elina Svitolina, qualified for the quarter-finals. She or him, it’s a bit the same. We will therefore see him again in the stands at least on Wednesday. With a smile. It takes more than Ben Shelton, for whom he has a lot of affection (“I love this kid“, he repeated Monday), or that an elimination, not even in a Grand Slam, to take it away from him. His philosophy of life goes beyond that. His way of being.
One battle too many: the moment Monfils had to throw in the towel
Video credit: Eurosport
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