Whenever Gael Monfils walks onto a tennis court, the crowd is usually treated to an array of breathtaking shot-making. His debut at this week’s London ATP Finals is no exception, but as the crowd praises Monfils, the reality is that he in on the verge of a meltdown.
Monfils’ latest defeat at the 02 Arena was at the hands of rising star Dominic Thiem, a player tipped to become a future superstar in the sport. The loss wasn’t unexpected, but the fashion in how he did was one of concern. A trio of double faults combined with another error in the final game was enough for the Austrian to seal the win in three sets.
“I think today was a tough one. Dominic was better than me. I think I didn’t play a great match, but I gave everything I had.” Said Monfils.
Troubled by injury leading into the tournament, it has become apparent how much the end-of-year spectacular is impacting on his body. Walking into his Tuesday press conference, the energy and enthusiasm was absent. In its place was a player who appeared tired and despondent, struggling to generate any enthusiasm ahead of his next match.
“I give my best, as usual, fighting with everything I had. That’s the only matters when you step on the court.” The 30-year-old said when challenged about his mentality.
“(I will) try to recover because obviously I’m not good enough to play back-to-back (matches). So hopefully I’ll be much better.”
His comments mirror the ones he said shortly after his loss to Milos Raonic on Sunday. Instead of agonizing about losing his first ever match at the ATP Finals, the Frenchman was proud that he only lost by two breaks of service. A somewhat perplexed assessment which outlines the current state of his game.
“I came here with three, four days of real practice. Even when you’re 100%, it’s tough to beat those guys.” He said earlier in the week.
The timing of this implosion is a cruel twist in events after what has been a breakthrough year for Monfils, where he won a career best 44 matches and his first ATP 500 title within the same season. There is no doubt that the world No.6 will continue to fight in London as long as he is participating. Few can dispute Monfils’ commitment, but is it a risk worth taking?
