Training, photos. A training session with young players, autographs. Media availability, enthusiasm. When Gaël Monfils comes to Montreal, he leaves no one indifferent.
Posted at 4:33 p.m.
Since the beginning of his career, Monfils has been described as one of the most endearing characters on the circuit. Whether on or off the field, he is considered one of the most entertaining, funniest and charismatic players on the planet.
Once again, at this 2022 edition of the National Bank Open, Monfils received a triumphant welcome from the people of the metropolis. The crowd gathered around the field where he practiced and all eyes were on him during a workshop with young players from the Montreal region. It was all smiles that Monfils rubbed shoulders with the next generation of tennis players from here for almost an hour.
“I find it cool and it’s important, because there are young players who see us on TV, who have the chance to talk with us, and give them time, that’s part of the job, to a certain way, ”he said on the catwalk of the IGA stadium, in jogging pants and a blue hooded jacket, despite the oppressive heat.
Here, he is not Gaël Monfils. He is simply Gael.
It is this closeness to Quebec fans who call his first name to have access to a piece of him that makes this tournament unique in his eyes.
It’s cool here, really. The energy is different, and that’s why I always say that the Montreal tournament is special in the calendar.
Gael Monfils
The last time Monfils came to Montreal, he managed to wow the gallery, with his acrobatics, of course, but also thanks to sparkling performances, notably against Roberto Bautista Agut, in the quarter-finals. The French had to withdraw in the semi-final against Rafael Nadal.
That’s why he feels he has something to finish this year. “Every time I think of Montreal, I think of big games. There is a great atmosphere and the crowd here is fantastic. »
Always in the loop
Time flies, and even though he started his career almost 20 years ago, he is still one of the best players in the world. At 35, the Frenchman is the 20e ATP ranked player.
He has won a title since the start of the season, in Adelaide, and last year he became the second Frenchman in history to reach the milestone of 500 career victories, after Gilles Simon.
Monfils still manages to hold his own, even if the young players stormed the top of the world ranking.
He has no secret recipe to explain the maintenance of such a yield. However, he knows what are the necessary ingredients for the success of a top athlete: “I think it’s the sacrifices and the desire to play. Of course, there is also work. »
Moreover, the notion of pleasure is still essential in the eyes of Monfils. In fact, this is its main engine. “That’s why I play tennis. I’m having too much fun to stop, ”he said with a smile, shrugging his shoulders, as if it went without saying.
“We make enough sacrifices, we don’t see our families either. If we play tournaments and we don’t enjoy it, it’s complicated, ”adds the holder of 11 titles on the ATP circuit.
This is the message he wanted to send to the children gathered on Court 2 of Jarry Park. This is also the message he wants to send to the rest of the planet for the few years he has left to circumnavigate the globe week after week. It is also this desire to play that he wants to transmit each time he is in front of an audience.
“In tennis, you always have to be positive,” he said, and that’s how he manages to charm the Quebec public at each tournament.