Qualifying for his first end-of-year tournament, there is a sense of excitement surrounding the appearance of France’s Gael Monfils.
The 30-year-old peaked at a career high of 6th earlier this month after achieving one of his most consistent seasons yet. Heading into London with a win-loss of 44-15, the Frenchman won the Washington Open, settled for runner-up at the Monte Carlo Masters and reached his first grand slam semifinal since 2008.
“[Coach] Mikael [Tillstrom] helped me a lot, but my fitness coach gets a lot of credit as well. They’ve both done a great job,” Monfils told atpworldtour.com about his 2016 success. “Mikael jumped on the team last year and we’ve changed a lot. I’ve changed my routine, the way I practise and recover. It’s been working well.”
Once described by Andy Murray as ‘maybe the best natural athlete we’ve ever had in tennis,‘ Monfils’ combination of breathtaking movement and elegant shots has earned him the reputation of one of the most entertaining players to watch on the tour. On the other hand, there has been times in 2016 when this majestic style has escaped him. Facing Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the US Open, the questionable tactics and lackluster performance of the Frenchman sparked criticism from many. It was an outcome that Monfils never wanted, but he is still drawing positives from it.
“I was happy, but very disappointed, to be honest,’ Monfils recently said about his performance in New York. ‘I have a mental block against Djokovic, but I’m trying to find solutions.”
“I had such high expectations for the last [Grand Slam of the season]. But it definitely helped me to have more belief in myself and put in a lot of work to be even stronger,” he added.
Monfils will have the chance to redeem himself at the O2 Arena after being drawn in the same group as the former world No.1. The odds are firmly against him after he lost to Djokovic in all of their previous 13 matches on the tour. Nevertheless, there is still hope for Monfils with the Serbian struggling to regain his consistency on the tour. A win would not only be significant for Monfils, it would also be a boost to Murray’s dream of ending the year as world No.1. Monfils will also play Milos Raonic (whom he defeated earlier this year) and Dominic Thiem.
A three-time junior grand slam champion who won his first ATP title in 2005, some has questioned why it has taken Monfils so long to make an appearance at the year-end extravaganza. Addressing that question, the 30-year-old has put his breakthrough down to personal development on the tour.
“Lots of people would have thought that I should have qualified before, but it has taken time to understand myself. I’m quite happy it’s happened when I turn 30 because it has been a long season and there has been quite a shift in my life. I have grown up a lot, I’ve got a better understanding of who I am and what I want to achieve and have this new team, a new coach. It’s probably the biggest achievement of my career.” He said during an interview with the The Daily Mail.
The highly likable Monfils remains an outsider to clinch the biggest title of his career, but it is not necessarily impossible in what has been an anything but predictable year in tennis. One key figure that wouldn’t be surprised if Monfils wins the $7 million tournament is former world No.2 Alex Corretja. During an interview with the ATP, the Spaniard believes that the key to the title is belief for tournament debuts Monfils and Thiem.
“You know what, why not?” Corretja recently said. “If any of them win the tournament, no one should be surprised, because they’re good players, they’re very good players. Of course, the other ones have more experience, but they’re good players.”
Monfils will kick start his London challenge on Sunday against Milos Raonic. He will be bidding to become the first French player to win the title.
