Urodzony : 1 września 1986 w Paryżu
Miejsce zamieszkania : Nyon
wzrost : 193 cm
waga : 80 kg
trener : Roger Rasheed
w ATP : Od 2004 ( TMS Paryż , Hewitt 6-3 7-6 (3) )
Wygrane trurnieje : 1 , Sopot :P
Więcej z zyciorysu itp. pózniej , narazie wspomne tylko że Geal w styczniu przyszłego roku wygra najprawdopodobniej swó mecz nr 100 w ATP :) , ciekawe czy wówczas będzie jeszcze go coś łączyło z tą piekną słowaczką :P 
Zmieniłem tę pierwszą fotkę, bo trochę przyduża była ;)
Gael - fikuśny to człek, spory potencjał, wielki talent, beznadziejna taktyka :P
Odnoszę wrażenie, że on chyba lubi wykonywać tytaniczną prace by mieć coś, co mógłby mieć mniejszym wysiłkiem. Głównie dlatego, że mimo progresu rankingowego wciąż tylko się zapowiada, trudno powiedziec, czy się kiedyś w tym seniorskim tenisie spełni.
A wróżono mu karierę bajeczną.
http://www.sport365.fr/tennis/article_3 … ines.shtml
Gael niestety z powodu kontuzji kolana musi zrobić sobie co najmniej trzytygodniową przerwę od tenisa, dlatego też opuści tegoroczny turniej w Rzymie i Madrycie. :(
Ja i tak się dziwię, że on sobie jeszcze nic na amen nie rozwalił. :] Zdrowia życzę, rozsądku już nie, bo w to że on przestania te swoje wygibasy uskuteczniać, to już nie wierzę.
Tak więc ta kontuzja tłumaczy bolesną porażkę w II rundzie MC.
Z jednej strony dobrze, bo nie przeciąży się przed French Open, spokojnie odpocznie ale znowu może "zapomnieć" jak gra się na clayu. W zasadzie co się dziwić. Jego styl gry jest bardzo "kontuzyjny". Taki już jest nasz Gael. :D
Korzystając z przykrej okazji jaką jest kontuzja, wyrażę swoją teorię, że Gael zostanie wielce niespełnionym zawodnikiem i mam spore obawy, że nic poza sopockim turniejem w swojej zawodowej karierze nie wygra. Wielka szkoda, bo to zawodnik o ogromnym potencjale, szczególnie niewykorzystanym przy sieci. Swoją drogą, aż trudno mi uwierzyć, że przy tych parametrach można być tak nieziemsko sprawnym(sam będąc ledwie parę cm niższy wyglądam przy nim jak inwalida).
French Open - Monfils doubt for French Open
Gael Monfils is doubtful for next month's French Open because of a knee injury.
"It is possible that I will not play Roland Garros," the world number 10, who reached the French Open semi-final last year, told sports daily L'Equipe.
French federation doctor Bernard Montalvan said Monfils has Osgood-Schlatter's disease and has suffered from the problem in 2007.
"From time to time, there is an inflammation of the kneecap and it's the case now," he said.
Monfils will also miss the Rome and Madrid Masters tournaments.
(eurosport)
Last year's French Open semi-finalist Gaël Monfils explains his love affair with the red dirt.
Gaël Monfils has been in love with clay even since he was a youngster. Since he first picked up a racquet, in fact, and learnt his trade on the red dirt at Jean Bouin, a mere topspin lob away from the Roland Garros stadium that hosts the only Grand Slam to be played on clay.
It is of course the ideal surface for someone who has earned himself the nickname "Sliderman", and with the home crowd behind him the French Open always seems to bring out his showmanship qualities. Beginning with his French junior (15-16-year-olds) title won in Paris in 2002 and culminating with his spectacular run to the semi-finals at Roland Garros last year, and not forgetting his first tour title in Sopot, "la Monf'" as the French call him has always shone on this, the toughest of surfaces – for a number of reasons.
"The psychological challenge? I love it!"
"I like long rallies," says Monfils, cutting a long story short. "I also have more time to think when I play on clay. I can go further back as well – I don't have to be glued to the baseline – and I can make the ball kick up more as well… It's basically my kind of surface!" So much so that when he won the junior French Open in 2004, the big-hitting Parisian was confident enough to fire down an ace on a second service to clinch the title. A masterstroke like that takes nerves of steel, and the mental battle that makes clay court tennis often seem like a giant chess match is also something that appeals to Monfils.
"The psychological challenge? I love it! And this is something that's even more important at Roland Garros," says Monfils with a grin, referring to the fact that the French Open is played over the best of five sets and here, more than anywhere else, an outsider can make a run deep into the second week. "You can end up in real trouble if the draw isn't kind to you," he continues. "Imagine if you get someone like Oscar Hernandez, Albert Montanes or Potito Starace in the first round. The general public may not know much about them but they're by no means easy to beat! After that, the tournament starts to take off and you're bound to have to face one of the big names by the third round. And at Roland, since it's a Grand Slam, there are 128 of us in the draw meaning that all the clay-court specialists are there, so that negates your advantage."
Against all odds
The road to Roland this year has been an uphill one for Monfils to say the least. He has had a recurrence of what is commonly called growing pains but which is actually known in the medical profession as Osgood Schlatter's disease, causing him real pain in both knees, particularly the left. La Monf had to withdraw from the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 and is unlikely to play much tennis before the French Open gets under way – hardly ideal preparation for the most important tournament of the year as far as French players are concerned, but Monfils remains confident.
And he has good reason to be. In 2008, he came to Paris suffering from a groin strain only to go all the way through to the final four and even take a set off Roger Federer. Monfils knows therefore that he has the mental wherewithal to cope with five-set matches and two-week tournaments, and this year he has been working on the physical aspect as well. Having taken on Australian coach Roger Rasheed last summer, he has been working on a specially designed fitness regime. "I've been doing a lot of work over the past few weeks," Monfils explains. "Physically, I'm stronger than I was a year ago." Just how strong is he? "Even compared with Rafael Nadal in this respect, I wouldn't come up short," he says, confidently.
The Monfils Trap
http://tennisworld.typepad.com/thewrap/ … /#comments
#2)Metz 2009
R32 Bye
R16 S.Grosjean 6/1 6/1
QF J.Tipsarević 6/1 4/2 Ret.
SF R.Gasquet 6/4 6/3
W P.Kohlschreiber(2) 7/6 3/6 6/2
Jeden z bardziej efektownych graczy , miło sie patrzy na jego grę, jednak to jego ślizganie na hardzie powoduję u mnie ciarki na plecach, gdy Gael poprawi taktykę to może być wielki, ale na zmianie taktyki sie nie zanosi bo Monfils to po prostu żywioł :)
Australian Open - Gael Monfils looking doubtful for Australian Open
Gael Monfils faces a race against time to be fit for the Australian Open after a shoulder injury forced him to withdraw from the Sydney International.
As designated top seed for Sydney, the Frenchman was given a first round bye but pulled out before his second round opponent was even decided.
Monfils said he injured his right shoulder at last week's Brisbane International and was hoping his decision to skip Sydney would enable him to play the Australian Open, starting in Melbourne on January 18.
"I think I have an inflammation... it's getting worse and worse," the world number 12 said.
"If I keep going playing on it, it's gonna turn into something chronic I think, so I need to take some days off."
Monfils out of Sydney International
AAP
Top seed Gael Monfils has withdrawn from the Sydney International with a shoulder injury which also has the Frenchman in doubt for the Australian Open starting in Melbourne next Monday.
Monfils says his right serving shoulder is inflamed and requires several days' rest.
The world No.12 is hopeful of being fit for the opening grand slam of the year, but won't make a decision until later this week.
Monfils hoping for fast shoulder recovery
Gael Monfils could be on the danger list for the Australian Open as the Frenchman rushes to try to heal the shoulder injury which forced him out as top seed from Sydney.
Monfils, ranked 13th, is now in a race against the clock with the first Grand Slam of 2010 starting Monday.
"It was getting worse and worse; I had a little hope to be a bit better, but ...," said Monfils. "If I keep playing on it, it's gonna turn into something chronic.
"I had this injury two years ago and I've had it now about ten days, I think it's due to over-work."
Monfils said he would wait until mid-week to test the shoulder with an eye on the Australian Open start. "I'm trying to stay positive on my participation for the Australian Open."
Monfils w DEUCE:
The Natural
Gael Monfils is perhaps the best athlete on the ATP World Tour. But can that athleticism be harnessed for the greater good?
Showtime and Gael Monfils is ready to go. His clothes are loud and flamboyant, his hair untamed. Tattoos dot his arms and his entire body glistens with sweat.
Game on and now he is dashing back and forth like Zorro slashing at the ball with his racquet as if it were a sword. Trouble on the far side line and Monfils has to fly across the court chasing a ball that was struck flat and hard. Arriving at the precise moment that the ball is about to bounce twice Monfils spatula hacks a forehand slice sending it like a boomerang back across the court.
Still, the problem is not solved. The ball is going one way and Monfils the other because he is sliding as if on a block of ice and not an abrasive slab of plexi-plave. Next challenge is a drop shot and Monfils punches turbo to get there on time and then he shovels the ball back across the net, yet again.
Clearly frustrated, his opponent commits the fatal mistake: he lobs. Monfils likes this. With shoulders turned, core primed and hips pumping leg across leg, he ignites and explodes high into the air. The smash is struck like a thunderbolt and upon returning to earth Monfils erupts with a roar that rattles the rafters. The crowd goes wild as Gael Monfils beats the hell out of his chest. Game over.
You would be forgiven for thinking that you were watching a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean, but no, you are courtside and have just witnessed a single point in a match featuring arguably the game’s most athletic player.
Monfils' eyes are wide open and he is staring straight at me. He does not flinch and it feels like you are trapped into some kind of virtual eye lockdown. Satisfied, he releases the tension and begins in a voice so soft that it is barely audible.
“I needed a change,” begins the 22 year old from the east side of Paris. “In France, the coaches want everything perfect. They want copy, they want beautiful. That is not me.”
MonfilsUp until then Monfils went through coaches like the French tear through freshly baked baguettes, one right after another. Olivier Delaitre, coach for the French Federation of Tennis (FFT), was with Monfils through the juniors and early stages of the Futures. He thinks he knows why.
“Gael has always been determined and focused on his game,” begins Delaitre. “He was young and maybe made mistakes, but he was trying every day to move up, to learn something and to improve. In my opinion, that is why he changed so often his coach. He was always seeking something more.”
The French are not easily impressed with talented junior tennis players. They have had so many: Di Pasquale, Simon, Gasquet, and Tsonga. Patrice Dominguez, technical director of the FFT, has seen them all. To him, Monfils was different.
“Of course, his physical ability was incredible, but he had the desire that made him stand out over the others. That was what impressed us at the time. And since then he has never let us down.”
Dominguez is standing courtside watching Monfils practise. It looked like any other point until Monfils struck a big inside-out forehand, sending his practice partner scrambling. Now Monfils is on the offence and fast approaching the net. Instantly, and without warning, he leaps like a panther over the net and spikes his partner’s shot into the court for a winner before the ball can cross the net. Dominguez lets out a smile as the other players stare in disbelief at the incredible display of raw athletic talent.
“Gael is a ball player,” says Dominguez. “He is simply a ball player. Like a Harlem Globetrotter, he loves the show. You know, sometimes he comes to play at Roland Garros with his friends and they don’t even know how to play tennis. But Gael does not care. He just loves to play the game. His enthusiasm attracts people.”
From his hairstyle to his shot selection to his customized car, Monfils wants to be different. He does not want to be compared to anyone. He just wants to be Gael Monfils. But he also wants something else, too: to be great. And in July of 2008 he could hear the clock starting to tick.
Roger Rasheed was in Australia when he got the call. It was right after Wimbledon and Monfils was on the other end asking him for help.“Gael, do you know what you are letting yourself in for, mate?” Rasheed said. “Are you sure that you are ready for this?”
Yes, he was sure. More sure than of anything else. “I wanted to be tougher,” Monfils admits. “I needed someone strong.”
What Rasheed wants, Rasheed gets and soon he had Monfils’ mind and body in overdrive. Years of training Lleyton Hewitt reinforced to him what it took to be great and now with his new charge, he had a new mission. Call it The Gael Monfils Project.
“He is not even close to where I want him to be,” Rasheed says. “In two years time he will be a beast. When we started I told him that he was Top 5 potential, but he needs to be able to play a full season. He has some incredible physical attributes, his length, and ability to stretch, and general elasticity. We have taken a lot of that sliding out of his game because if he is sliding that means he is in on the defence. Now, maybe he does it only one or two times per match.”
Monfils“I think it was a great improvement to have Roger on his side,” Dominguez says. “Roger is a tough guy in the practice session, and he has a lot of good exercises to channel Gael’s energy. But the most important thing is that Roger realised that for Gael to improve his game, Gael would have to improve his perception of the game.”
“First thing I said to him when I got off the plane is, 'From now on you stand here',” Rasheed says, pointing at the baseline. “If you look at his tennis before, he was just defensive. Can he win a Grand Slam defending? No. Can he win a Masters 1000? No. He has to play more offence. And he has the weapons to do that.”
While moulding the will, Rasheed had to be careful to not break Monfils’ warrior spirit. “It [style] is part of me,” Monfils claims. “When I am on the court, my style is my nature, my instinct. I love to run. When I am on the court, my parents always tell me that [my running] is a gift from God.”
Other players are taking notice of the improved Monfils. Close friend and countryman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is impressed. “Gael is more consistent now. Roger helped him structure his game well and showed him to move forward.”
“Roger has helped me to become more professional,” Monfils acknowledges. “He loves to work and he takes care of the details.”
On paper, it does not look an extraordinary result: Gael Monfils defeats Dennis Istomin 7-6, 7-6 in the first round of the Proton Malaysian Open. But what is not written down is that Monfils arrived in Kuala Lumpur just hours before he was set to play. No hotel, no sleep and no practice. Just a 27-minute warm-up.
He had the perfect excuse to lose, and who would say anything? Did he not just win Metz three days ago? But Monfils is in Malaysia and hungry for more. Clearly fatigued and suffering from jet lag, he is running on fumes. Still, he is scrapping for every ball, swooping around the court like a bird of prey. Just one problem: Istomin knows Monfils is not 100 per cent and he is gunning for an upset.
Though he is losing, Monfils is sticking to the game plan and attempting to control the baseline. Except on this day Istomin is painting the lines with every stroke. Monfils is down a break and Istomin has the first of two set points on his serve. It is gut-check time for Gael Monfils. He looks up at Rasheed, takes a few deep breaths and nods his head up and down.
He refuses to give in, there has been too much work, too much sacrifice, and he and Roger have invested too much to go down without a fight. Like Rocky Balboa, Monfils takes Istomin’s best punches and refuses to be knocked out. He heaves a forehand here, chops a slice there, all the while Istomin is ripping the ball side to side, jerking Monfils back and forth so much that he is earning frequent flyer miles.
MonfilsSomehow, Monfils breaks, but he is too tired to celebrate, instead he lifts his head up and looks to Rasheed. No words were spoken between the coach and player. There was no need, for the look that Monfils gave Rasheed said much more than any words could express.
Monfils’ last match of the 2009 season was a three-set thriller versus Novak Djokovic in the final of the BNP Paribas Masters, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Bercy. Down a set and a break, he looked to have no chance, so well was Djokovic playing. Then Monfils dug deep and summoned up all of his fight, all of his determination and levelled the match. Monfils lost the match in a third set tie-break, but on this day he won the respect of all those who ever doubted his toughness.
In many ways, Monfils is France’s prodigal son. The special one forever favoured over the others because of his immense talent. But Monfils rebelled against the French method, and left the country. Might he return to Paris one day to hoist the Coupe de Mousquetaires high over his head, giving France the hero they so desperately seek? Patrice Dominguez thinks so. “I think that Gael will be our guy to bring France a
Grand Slam trophy,” Dominguez says.
For as long as he cares to remember, Monfils has had to listen to people tell him how talented he is and how many opportunities he has been given. All that just piled on the pressure and raised expectations to unrealistic levels. Now, they are saying something different about him. They are saying how tough he has become and that now there is plenty of substance to back up the showmanship. Monfils like this.
Monfils Visits Soccer City Stadium & Mandela's House
World No. 13 Gael Monfils, the top seed at the SA Tennis Open in Johannesburg, cast his eyes over South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World Cup preparations in a visit to the Soccer City stadium in Soweto on Monday.
The stadium, originally built in 1987, has been reconstructed into a 94,700 capacity stadium, dubbed the ‘Ring of Fire’ by the locals, that will host the opening and closing games of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Monfils, travelled to Soweto via police escort, and was clearly relishing the opportunity to visit the world cup venue, updating his twitter page en route, writing, “I'm going to soccercity (sic) stadium in soweto (sic)”.
Upon arrival at the Stadium, Monfils and his entourage were met by Venue Director, Jacques Grobbelaar, who led the crew on a 45-minute guided tour of the stadium. During the tour, Grobbelaar explained that the venue, only 20 days away from completion, is based upon the iconic African pot known as the calabash.
The stadium is mainly filled with orange seats, but there are also lines of grey seats, representing the road to the FIFA World Cup, the direction towards the other FIFA World Cup venues around South Africa, and two separate lines representing Germany and Brazil, the venues of the 2006 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.
Half way through the tour, Monfils and his team ventured down to the 12m Rand (US$1.5m) pitch to see exactly where the dreams of the 32 competing nations will be played out. The pitch is generally off limits to people visiting the stadium, however a special exemption was given to Monfils, who proved that he was just as adept with a football at his feet than with a racquet in his hand.
“I am a big fan of football, but I don’t have a favourite team, I prefer to watch the soccer players as they are so talented,” admitted Monfils. “I used to play football when I was young, but also my dad was a professional soccer player, so I used to play a lot.”
Monfils was clearly impressed with the stadium saying, “It is amazing, it’s gorgeous, its huge, it’s very huge. I have been in the Stade de France in Paris, and I think this one is a little bit bigger, and has an amazing feel. I would love to come back for the World Cup, but it depends on my schedule, I think it is during Wimbledon, but if I can for sure I will do it."
The Frenchman also didn’t miss the opportunity to keep his fans updated by uploading pictures and video from his visit to his Twitter page. Monfils also sent the pictures to members of the French national team boasting that he had beaten them to the stadium, locker room and onto the pitch.
Grobbelar also explained that the stadium was also the venue for Nelson Mandela’s first mass rally after he was released from prison in 1990. With that in mind Monfils headed to the suburb of Orlando West, in Soweto, to Mandela House, the place where Mandela raised his family from 1946 until his imprisonment in 1962.
The two bedroom house, located at 8115 Vilakazi Street, Orlando West, Soweto, today stands as a museum aimed at providing an effective and meaningful experience to all visitors about the context of Mandela’s home life and his life as a whole.
The Frenchman was shown around the small house and was clearly moved by the experience.
“When the lady came and explained Nelson Mandela’s life, to know all the little details and where he used to live,” said Monfils, “it’s an amazing experience. It gives you a lot of emotion, and seeing the writing on the wall and the pictures and the gifts people gave him, it was a very good experience for me.”
Reflecting after the visit, Monfils added, “tennis is a sport, but this is history. I do like the Nelson Mandela story and what he came from and what he made, so for me it was one of my biggest experiences in my small life, and I wish maybe one day I will come back with my parents to show them exactly this, because this is very good.”
The last word of course comes via his Twitter page, with Monfils tweeting on the ride back to hotel, “unbelievable experience to visit Nelson Mandela’s house”.
I po polsku:
Johannesburg: piłkarska wycieczka Monfilsa
Francuz Gael Monfils, najwyżej rozstawiony tenisista w turnieju ATP w Johannesburgu (z pulą nagród 442,5 tys. dol.), miał okazję odwiedzić dom Nelsona Mandeli w Soweto oraz stadion na tegoroczne piłkarskie mistrzostwa świata.
Monfils, sklasyfikowany na 13. miejscu w rankingu ATP World Tour, jest fanem futbolu, co widać nawet podczas jego treningów na korcie, gdy często żongluje małymi, żółtymi piłkami. Zresztą jako młody chłopiec ćwiczył regularnie w juniorskiej drużynie, zanim zdecydował się na zawodową grę w tenisa.
Organizatorzy imprezy w RPA umożliwili mu wycieczkę do Soweto i wejście na murawę stadionu, wybudowanego w 1987 roku. To na nim doszło do pierwszego publicznego wystąpienia Mandeli po wyjściu z więzienia w 1990 roku.
W ostatnich latach trybuny tego obiektu powiększono dwukrotnie, tak by podczas tegorocznych MŚ mogły pomieścić 94 700 widzów. Podczas wizyty Monfilsowi towarzyszyła eskorta policyjna, a tenisista miał okazję chwilę pobiegać za piłką na boisku, a także zwiedzić stadion w towarzystwie jego dyrektora Johna Grobbelara.
- To ogromny stadion i robi wielkie wrażenie. Byłem kiedyś na Stade de France w Paryżu, ale myślę, że ten jest nieco większy. Z chęcią bym tu przyjechał w czasie mistrzostw świata, ale wszystko będzie zależeć od mojego planu startów. Niestety finał pokrywa się chyba z terminem Wimbledonu - powiedział Francuz, który pierwszy tytuł w cyklu ATP wywalczył w sopockim Orange Prokom Open w 2006 roku.
- Jestem wielkim fanem futbolu, ale nie mam ulubionego zespołu. Po prostu lubię oglądać dobrą grę. Jak byłem młodszy sam grałem w piłkę, choć była to raczej amatorska zabawa. Mój tata był zawodowym piłkarzem, więc nie było w tym przypadku - dodał.
Wprost ze stadionu Monfils udał się na zachodnie przedmieścia Soweto, do domu przy ulicy Vilakazi, gdzie od 1946 roku mieszkała rodzina Mandeli.
- Wizyta w tym miejscu i możliwość poznania szczegółów dotyczących życia człowieka, który zmienił historię, to dla mnie niesamowite odczucia i jedno z najważniejszych doświadczeń w moim życiu. Kiedyś spróbuję to przywieźć rodziców, żeby mogli to wszystko sami zobaczyć - powiedział Monfils.
Monfils plans to fulfill his passion for poker
Gael Monfils won't reign in his passion for poker despite criticisms that the flamboyant Frenchman might be getting distracted from his day job of tennis.
The No. 18 showed he's all over his game, reaching the quarter-finals of the Madrid Masters for a showdown with Rafael Nadal after coming back from a hand injury and stomach illness last week which prevented him from playing Estoril. .
Monfils plays poker so frequently online that he has recently been signed to a modest sponsorship contract by a website, PokerStars.
The French player also recently participated in a hands-on tournament at the elite Monte Carlo casino and says he will continue to mix gaming and tennis as he pleases. "I've been playing poker for a very very long time.
"Since no one knew about it, no one was breaking my balls. And now suddenly I hear some journalists and other negative people trying to make me feel guilty.
"If poker is a passion of mine, I don’t see why people should give me a hard time. In fact it makes me laugh more than anything else," said the 23-year-old.
"I can do whatever I want with my free time. Some people stay hours watching DVDs to relax, I spend hours playing poker. This doesn’t prevent me from taking my tennis career seriously."
If Gaël Monfils were a football player...
Gaël Monfils likes football. Not surprising, given that his father is a former player. With a mere three weeks until the World Cup starts, we decided to ask the No.13 seed all about the beautiful game…
Who do you think will be the biggest surprise at the World Cup?
I have a good feeling about Australia. Nobody’s picking them, but I’m pretty optimistic.
What about the biggest disappointment?
I don’t think there’ll be one. All the favourites will play well.
Speaking of favourites, who are yours?
France, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Germany and England.
Who would you pay good money to see in South Africa?
The French team.
What’s the most overrated team?
None of them are overrated this year, I think the rankings are pretty accurate and that will be borne out in the results.
Who is your favourite player?
My Dad.
What were your favourite experiences as a footballer?
Firstly when I played with the Les Lilas youth team, and secondly when I trained with Lausanne under-21s in Switzerland.
Who is your favourite manager?
Arsène Wenger.
How much would you pay for your favourite player’s shirt?
Nothing, I’d just ask him for it [laughs].
If you could play 90 minutes with any team, which would it be?
France.
Which is your favourite football stadium?
To be honest, I’m not really worried about things like that. I like the game, and the stadium just happens to be where matches are played.
What's the best goal you’ve ever seen?
The one that Thierry [Henry] scored for Arsenal against Manchester United [in 2000]. He got the ball with his back to goal, flicked it up, spun round and rifled it into the top corner.
Wimbledon 2010: Wywiad z Monfilsem po meczu 1 rundy
Q. I'm gonna ask a couple questions in English if that's all right.
GÄEL MONFILS: Okay.
Q. Not even focused on your match, if that's also okay.
GÄEL MONFILS: That's okay.
Q. Your thoughts and observations of what's gone on with your national team in the World Cup.
GÄEL MONFILS: I mean, yeah, for sure it's a bit strange. But actually we are sad of this, but how I can say? You know, I'm like a player. I'm support still my team. I'm still behind my team even.
Maybe some people think they made mistake or doing stuff wrong, but I will always be behind them because I think it's tough moment for them for sure.
But we never know. We still have one match. The magic can happen. I know it's kind of hard, and even close on impossible, but I'm still behind my boys, I will say. I will cheer for them for sure on Tuesday.
Q. What you do you make of the controversy, of the turmoil with the team, the coach, and the government getting involved?
GÄEL MONFILS: Yeah, this is a bit massive. I think it's massive. But, you know, about that, I don't think I'm qualified to speak about it.
But my thought is just, you know, I'm behind like the French team. It's still our team and we still have a little chance to qualify. So I will still cheer for them.
Q. When you first heard that this has happened with the boycott of a workout, what were your immediate emotions?
GÄEL MONFILS: Well, I just said, Maybe something happened big. You know, maybe I think ‑‑ I will say the biggest mistake for me is like the press get involved too much maybe. You know, they try to ‑‑ I know it's a big story, but they make this like too big, I think.
So this is wrong for our team, I think. Yes, maybe some stuff is not very clear or not very good. But still I think like the captain say, like Patrice Evra say, If they have some problem, we have to keep it on the team. Not let the press involved like this, because then it's like a bit messy.
I think it's sport. But like I said, they still have a chance to qualify, even to make like France a bit better, I will say. So I really hope they will take it and they will make us very proud of our country.
Q. One last thing, and that is: What struck you about the government getting involved? You mentioned the press. What did you think when you heard the government got involved?
GÄEL MONFILS: I just heard today, so I don't even know what they say. Maybe tomorrow I will be more able to tell you. Just I don't know.
Wimbledon 2010 - wywiad po zwycięstwie w 2 rundzie
Q. Do you still feel you need to be convinced that you can be successful on grass? I've heard it said you need to believe you can be successful on grass.
GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, that's why I'm really looking forward the next match because Lleyton is a really good grass player, and he won here. He won also last week.
Can be a great help for me if I get through. So, I mean, I still need a big match like I will have for next round to believe maybe I can play good on grass court.
Q. Do you enter into that match feeling grateful it will be such a big match with a lot of focus and pressure on you?
GAËL MONFILS: Not really pressure. I mean, will be more I will enjoy more and really test myself against a type of player like Lleyton. I always complain a bit about my movement on grass because I feel a bit light on grass court.
For me, I think it's one of my best skills, is the movement. So that's why I find it hard to play on grass. But if I can get through a tough player like Lleyton, I will have more belief and for sure I will start tell myself I can play on grass.
Q. Your movement belongs to you. It is what you are. How can you adapt your movement to a different surface?
GAËL MONFILS: To be honest, I think I'm slower like a lot on grass because my first step is not heavy; it is a bit light. I need to lay down more on my legs. And then to break, I need a couple more small step. I can't slide at all. For me is like really difficult. For me I just start to learn how to run. So it's tough for me.
Q. How much harder will it be to beat Lleyton on this surface?
GAËL MONFILS: It will be really hard. But, you know, like I try also to believe I have a good serve, and I serve not bad. I mean, it's been two matches I served not bad. Then I try to play really aggressive. So I know I need to be really aggressive.
I mean, more I will have some rallies I think more it will be hard for me to stay on my feet and compete against Lleyton will be tough.
So still I believe I can serve big and hit big, maybe cut point like really quick. I think I can made it.
Q. Your coach used to be Lleyton's coach. Is there anything he can tell you that you don't already know?
GAËL MONFILS: Actually I played Lleyton last year in Shanghai, so he will always help me for sure and he knows Lleyton really good. But, yeah, I mean, every time is different. And it's more in the head, I think. He will more help me in the head to be tough.
But tactically I know how to play him. I think he won't change tomorrow. Lleyton will never serve and volley or stay like six meter far behind the baseline. I know what I will get. It will be more helpful in my head.
Q. You're a former junior champion here. Roger was the last former junior champion to go on to win the main event here. Do you have any thoughts on why nobody has managed to do that since? How difficult is it to make the transition from a junior winner to go on and win the main event?
GAËL MONFILS: It's pretty easy to respond, because Roger won six time I think here. Every time is tough. I mean, especially, like French guy, I think also for Murray still, we are a generation, we have two big guys, like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. To win a slam, it's really hard.
It's not that easy I think for young people coming behind.
Q. Do you retain hope that you might do it one day?
GAËL MONFILS: I hope so. I hope so. That's why I work hard and I believe. And then we can see also sometime like Del Potro won the US Open, play like unbelievable two weeks tennis, and he made it. I mean, I think also about Novak. Still Jo had the opportunity, made the final playing Novak. I think I can do it, yeah.
Q. How did it feel watching France go out of the World Cup?
GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, I mean, I feel sad. It was hard. We had a lot of hope on our team. Then we didn't pass the quallies. Also we had a bit messy story, I will say, during the World Cup. So it was hard.
But now we need to turn back and focus about the Euro. For sure we have our next chance in four years. So actually I wish luck to England.
Q. Will you continue to enjoy the football?
GAËL MONFILS: Yes.
Q. Who do you think will win it?
GAËL MONFILS: It's tough. It's tough. I don't have a favorite. But for sure I have like the major, like Brazil, Argentina. I put England in. And Germany, yeah. And Netherlands.
"I'm more of an artist"
The cycle is starting again. Gael Monfils has pulled out of another tournament with an injury. He'd flown to Miami with hopes his left hand would feel strong enough to play the Sony Ericsson Open. But the pain is too great to ignore. So at 10:30 on a late-March morning, while word of his withdrawal makes the rounds of players and fans, and while his agent schedules an MRI and a flight to Paris, Monfils is sitting in a café on the 25th floor of the Conrad hotel, narrating the evolution of his game while watching YouTube clips of himself in action.
A laptop perched on his knees, Monfils (MON-feece) smiles after clicking "360 Degree Rotation Smash." Dressed in a white windbreaker, shorts and T-shirt, he says, "This is my favorite." In the clip, he launches high into the air, spins and unloads on a lob with a crushing overhead. "One time I need to show it in a match. For me, it's fun."
This season, the Tour has been anything but fun for the 23-year-old French star-in-waiting. After ascending to No. 9 in the world last spring, he's fallen to No. 17, his recent string of frustrating finishes punctuated by a second-round loss at the French to No. 92 Fabio Fognini, then a third-round, straight-sets Wimbledon meltdown against No. 26 Lleyton Hewitt (Monfils double-faulted on match point). In January, he was bumped in the third round of the Aussie by No. 28 John Isner. Injuries, meanwhile, have forced him out of five events.
Upon learning that Monfils had pulled out of the Sony Ericsson, Roger Federer expressed the feeling of many of the Tour's top players: "I always think it's disappointing when he's injured. Gael is fun to watch but also fun to play against; not just because you win or lose, but because it's exciting."
With increasing frequency, Monfils' performances haven't met the expectations of opponents or fans. Once a rising star whom no player wanted in his half of the draw, Monfils, thanks in part to his approach to the game, has lately played steppingstone for others on the climb.
And that's a shame. Fans and foes love his leave-it-all-on-the-court style of play. But his game also holds him back; his body is simply unable to handle the pounding. Over the past three years, he's suffered injuries to his back, right shoulder, left wrist and, most naggingly, left knee. "His potential is unbelievable," says Rafael Nadal. "But similar to me, when you play very aggressive with that flexibility you have more chances to get injured." Adds Andy Murray: "Gael's athleticism is incredible. He can jump high, hit incredibly hard and do pretty much anything. He's very, very talented. But you need to be playing if you want to improve in the rankings."
And so Monfils has arrived at a crucial point in his career: Since 1990, only nine men have won their first Grand Slam on the dark side of their 24th birthday. Unless he turns his game soon, Monfils could end up as another Tour journeyman who spent his career chasing potential.
Perou"I love tennis, but the main thing in my life, is life," says Monfils.
Not that the journey won't be interesting. Monfils is so magnetic that even listening to him describe his greatest hits is entertaining. And in six years as a pro, Monfils has developed a devoted, multiculti base of fans drawn to his lively personality and knack for brilliant shots. At the 2008 French Open, where he reached the semifinals before falling to Federer, Monfils rocked the Roland Garros crowd with Soulja Boy's "Superman" dance after wins. Sporting an auburn Afro and the nickname Sliderman, Monfils can steal a better-known opponent's crowd advantage with spellbinding moves toward seemingly impossible returns, the kind that pull soulful ooohs of appreciation from the stands. He worked his magic against Nadal at last year's U.S. Open with several miraculous gets in a 30-stroke rally, which he won with a sliding, whip forehand down the line. The effect: Think Jimi Hendrix playing guitar with his teeth. "Monfils is a special player, a different player, a spectacular player," says Nadal. "He is very good for tennis."
But spectacular comes with a physical cost. Monfils' lean, muscular, 6'4'' physique is built for power and agility, not sliding. "He is like a race car," says one French journalist. "Strong, but fragile." His coach of two years, Roger Rasheed, has pushed Monfils to fortify his build. "He's a bit loose in his joints," Rasheed says. "There's a hardening of the muscles and frame that he's doing now, legitimate gym work that a boxer would do. He needs a hard body to give a base and more control."
Most tennis players slide on clay courts, to stop, set up for a return or change direction. But Monfils has mastered the technique on hard courts. The screech of his shoes when he slides on concrete can sound like fingernails on a chalkboard, but he swears the move is painless. Either way, a Monfils slide is a marvel of mechanics, not unlike the windup of 5'11'', 170-pound Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum, which produces 101 mph rockets. "Monfils has very good flexibility and timing," says Rafael Bahamonde, a professor of human performance and biomechanics at Indiana University. "Not creating much friction allows him to slide on hard courts. But getting into that position and back out very quickly can put tremendous stress on the ankle, knee and hip joints. Is it worth the gamble when the odds of getting a point from that position are pretty slim?" It's the kind of question all sorts of elite athletes face. Consider Cowboys running back Marion Barber. He's a power runner whose instinct for plowing into defenders helps explain why he's not in the 1,000-yard club. "We're always talking about being smart and choosing when to step out of bounds to avoid taking unnecessary punishment," says Dallas running backs coach Skip Peete.
Despite the strain that sliding puts on Monfils' body, he has no intention of giving up his signature move. "People say, 'You slide too much,'" Monfils says, affecting an offended air. "I try to change a bit, just to see the difference, and it's very bad. The faster and easier thing is to slide. To me, it's a gift, it's natural. It may be different, but I'm me. I'm more of an artist. I create because I don't want to lose, and the ball is dead only on the second bounce."
And this is what makes Monfils one of the most extraordinary -- and maddening -- players in tennis. He's mercurial to a fault, willing to pound his body in victory or defeat. One senses in both his play and attitude that he's embracing something he should be fighting, and fighting something he needs to embrace.
This rebelliousness, for lack of a better word, may stem from his formative years as a player. A native Parisian, Monfils was introduced to tennis at age 2 by his parents, who played on weekends. His dad, Rufin, is from Guadeloupe; mother Sylvette hails from Martinique. Father coached son until Gael, at 13, earned a scholarship to a Russian tennis center. He returned to Paris a year later and joined the French Tennis Federation, where he trained and competed with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon -- together they were dubbed the "New Musketeers" by the French media. With legendary French showman Yannick Noah as a lodestar, Monfils resisted efforts to change his game, and his success as a junior (Australian, French and Wimbledon titles; a No. 1 ranking) encouraged him to rely on instinct at the expense of technique and fundamentals. After he turned pro in 2004, however, he struggled, no longer able to win with power and flashy shots. Although he often had more physical talent than an opponent, he lost matches because opponents out-thought him. Heading into the 2008 French, Monfils was ranked No. 32 and had never advanced past the Round of 16 at a Slam. But after his impressive run to the semis at Roland Garros, he decided to adjust his game. He sought Rasheed's help in July 2008.
PerouMonfils has the potential to turn tennis on its head, if ony his head didn't get in the way.
"I saw a player with legitimate weapons and a lot of raw talent who hadn't blossomed yet," Rasheed says. "I drew a line in the sand and said, If you want to be ranked 40 or 50, you can be creative and artistic. But if you want success at the Grand Slam level, there's a price." Monfils signed on. "Having someone to drive me was good for me," he says. Rasheed, who has the demeanor of a friendly drill sergeant, set out to lock Monfils into a more structured game plan. "I said, 'Look, you've got 4,000 tricks and I'm taking away 3,000,'" he says. "Have your flair, but if you're too loose, your game will break down. Your first goal is a W. People remember players who win, not how many times the crowd goes, 'Wow.'"
The improvement was almost immediate. "All of a sudden, people were actually concerned because Gael Monfils was a bit more switched on," Rasheed says, noting that Monfils jumped to No. 14 by November 2008. "That created locker room presence and on-court presence. He became a threat. Before, it was like, Well, I wonder what we're going to get today."
Although Rasheed does not favor sliding on hard courts, he concedes that selective use of the move allows Monfils to return shots he otherwise might not reach. Coach and player have reached a compromise. "Gael now does that about a fifth as much as he used to," says Rasheed. "When you play all defensive tennis, that's when you're sliding." Rasheed has also pushed Monfils to be more aggressive, to dictate points with his big forehand and volley from inside the baseline. "He's too patient in the points," says Novak Djokovic, who beat Monfils in the Paris final last November. "He needs to go more for his shots. That's where the players take control over him."
The other area where Monfils often cedes control? Upstairs. It's no secret that Monfils flusters easily, causing his game to unravel. "The mental is the key," says Rasheed. "That's the thing he's gonna try and keep under control. He's very youthful with his development as a top tennis player." Monfils knows that tempering his emotions may yield more than harnessing his physical skills. "I need to take more confidence in my weapons, and the difference is that the top guys have a little bit extra," he says. "Sometimes I can be a little bit down. I need to believe a little bit more, and then I will be a top player."
Away from tennis, Monfils seeks out hip-hop mixtapes from deejay friends and knows the best sushi spots at every Tour stop -- downing 30 pieces (California or salmon) per sitting. His reddish-brown 'fro, upon closer inspection, is actually a mix of tightly coiled curls that he twirls absentmindedly while talking. He lives in Nyon, Switzerland, with his Australian girlfriend, Chelsea, and says he's happy to come home from practice, cook and discuss everything but his job. "I love tennis, but the main thing in my life, is life," he says.
That attitude has helped deflect some of the pressure put upon him by his country's rabid thirst for somebody, anybody, to be the first French Grand Slam champ since Noah won Roland Garros in 1983. To do so, he'll have to become more ruthless about his goals, take responsibility, show conviction. He knows players such as Murray and Nadal are ticking every box, doing everything they can to improve their games. "Gael is learning to put that more into his world," says Rasheed. "He doesn't want his peers to say, 'Gael, he was super talented, but ...' He wants to remove the buts."
Does he have the necessary self-discipline? "I think I can change," Monfils says, sitting a little straighter in his seat at the Conrad. "I can get to high-level maturity. But I want to do what I want to do, and I want to be the No. 1. It's my dream to win a Slam. I'm very glad for advice and I will listen carefully. But I take advice from people, and I mix it up. I turn it in my way."
Monfils will have to watch twisted ankle
Gael Monfils will have to watch his step in the coming weeks after an ankle injury in the first set contributed to his loss in the final of the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.
The hyper-athletic Frenchman turned his ankle in the final game as he lost the opener against Spain's Albert Montanes, who went onto book the 6-2, 1-2 victory, picking up a cheque as well as a new Mercedes.
Monfils will carry on this week in Hamburg on clay, receiving a bye which means a mid-week start and more time to heal. "My ankle just got worse and worse," said the No. 17. I thought I could come back. But I wasn't 100 percent."
"Albert would have figured out he needed to just move me around for the win," said the player competing in his first final of the season.
Monfils was still pleased with his week's effort. "I played pretty good tennis, a lot of confidence came back. To reach a final again was pretty exciting. I had a bad experience but hopefully it will be better soon and I can get back to my best level and try to reach some other finals.”
Gaël Monfils: Dzięki charakterowi mogę wykorzystywać talent
Preferując tak spektakularny jak Gaël Monfils styl gry w tenisa, trudno uniknąć kontuzji. Francuz ma ich za sobą mnóstwo, ale niczego zmieniać nie zamierza. - Sport to hazard. Jeżeli nie wkładasz w to co robisz całej swojej duszy, kończysz marnie - mówi.
- To Bóg sprawił, że jestem jaki jestem i zaakceptowałem to - tłumaczy znany ze skoków, rzutów i upadków Monfils w rozmowie z "L'Équipe". - Myślę wręcz, że moje życie poza kortem to także część talentu. Moja osobowość: to dzięki niej talent się wykorzystuje lub nie.
W Nowym Jorku Monfils celuje w swój najlepszy tegoroczny rezultat w Wielkim Szlemie, w którym nie potrafi jak na razie przeskoczyć 1/16 finału. Wspólnie z Rogerem Federerem "gościli" na korcie Thierry'ego Henry, nowego napastnika Red Bulls. W I rundzie US Open Monfils zagra z kwalifikantem Robertem Kendrickiem, a w III rundzie może spotkać się z Andym Roddickiem.
US Open 2010 - wywiad po zwycięstwie w 1 rundzie
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. It was a real fight out there today. Is that always tough to start a two week tournament with a five setter like that, or is it maybe okay to get out there and know you can win a five set match?
GAËL MONFILS: I know I can win five set match. I think I'm tough to play in five sets. But today was not a good day for me. I mean, it was like I was fighting against myself, so tried to be like more aggressive, tried to play my game. I think today I was pretty flat. But I'm happy, you know, I come through, and I just give myself second chance to practice hard tomorrow and to be better on Wednesday. I'm quite happy for that.
Q. How was it fighting against yourself? Was it more mental?
GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, mentally. I think physically I'm good. But when the mind is not working that good, as you can see. I was like slow on the court and bad judgment sometime and also tried to change a bit my game. Wasn't the real Gaël Monfils on the court. You know, I fight, compete, and I come through, so it was -- I mean, I made my job pretty simple. Not good but, pretty simple.
Q. You've had good results here. Do you generally feel comfortable playing here?
GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, I mean, definitely. Just today wasn't a good day. I had a good week. I practiced, feel the ball good, physically I was good. Yesterday was a bit off, but still, like I told you, I did the job: Win. That's it.
Q. Is there a big difference in the final set, the big points in the final set versus the big points in the second, fourth set? Obviously you won, but in terms of your approach or anything you were doing that allowed you to make a difference there?
GAËL MONFILS: Ah, for sure you're a bit more careful how you choose, because the end -- I mean, the final set if you choose, I don't know, to serve and volley at 4 All in the fifth, different to choose to early in the second set. I mean, I try to be like a bit more aggressive, tried to push him a bit more, and in the end he was same tired like we are tired, so tried to move in. Tried to put some long rallies, also.
Q. Coming off a first round, in Cincinnati, you were knocked out of the first round, do you feel that you sometimes get off to a slow start in tournaments? Explain what happened in Cincinnati.
GAËL MONFILS: Cincinnati wasn't my day, you know. I had like bad day, and then mentally wasn't on the court. My mind was somewhere else, so was a bad day. Happen sometimes. I forget this part.
Q. Are you in good form? Do you feel you are in good form?
GAËL MONFILS: No, not really, but I think every day is a new day, so let's see what Gaël it will give me on Wednesday.
Q. Do you enjoy the atmosphere? The fans are chanting, USA.
GAËL MONFILS: Oh, yeah. I love USA, so for me doesn't matter. I can share with them because I love the USA. For me it was more distraction, was more to relax and enjoy a bit, maybe to think about something else. So for me, it was great.
Q. How do you stay calm? You get into a fifth set and it's getting late in the fifth set, is there anything you do to keep yourself calm and focused?
GAËL MONFILS: I know in fifth set is different, but I'm strong I think in the fifth set. I think I lost two one year against Djokovic the first year -- and I think I could have win this one -- and one in French Open, terrible. But I think in the fifth set I'm very strong and competitive, so I always love play fifth set. So for me was good, actually.
Q. You did a couple of dropshots. What was your strategy in the game today?
GAËL MONFILS: I mean, just tried to mix up a bit. I saw he was a bit like slow to coming forward, so I tried to use this one. Actually, the courts are very bouncy, so I get lucky today with the dropshot. But sometimes against those players is good to play a bit to bring in forehand, because he think you will play deep and fast, and so you mix up a bit.
Q. There was a lot of fans, a lot of people in the court. Was that a distraction for you?
GAËL MONFILS: I mean, people for sure help me. I mean, in the end like help me. I think it helped me to be more relaxed and also more like, Okay, it's a game, it's a great game. People enjoy, so enjoy yourself. Try to be more relax. It's been like, I mean, four sets you struggle a bit and you seem a bit flat, so I take this like in a good way. So that's why it helped me a lot.
US Open 2010 - wywiad po zwycięstwie w 3 rundzie
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. What is it about the US Open? You've had great success here; the crowds love you here. Is it something about being in New York, the atmosphere?
GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, I love the atmosphere. I love the city, also. I mean, actually the States when I was young, and I was like looking for two things: One, the Orange Bowl, and another thing the US Open junior for sure, and I didn't. I fail like twice in final in Orange Bowl. I came here with injury the year when I won the other three. So, I mean, here is like now I'm in seniors, so I really want to win this one, also. I love the surface here; I love the crowd; I love the Ashe Stadium. So I feel very good and comfortable here.
Q. What were the conditions like today on the grandstand in terms of the weather and the wind?
GAËL MONFILS: Awful. I mean, for me, awful. For me to play my game, it was tough to swing my balls; it was tough to adjust. My movement was not that good I think around the ball to make the small steps. So I just try to compete and put the ball in. And actually, I think I was just happy, because physically I was there. But I think tactically and tennistically it was not a great match.
Q. Did you notice any differences between the way he was playing early in the match and later in the match? Because obviously he was a little banged up.
GAËL MONFILS: Um, not really. Not really.
Q. Compared to other Opens, how are you feeling mentally and physically? You know, you're getting into the last final week. You have hopefully a few matches less until it's that final match. What's going through your mind right now?
GAËL MONFILS: I feel great physically. I mean, before the Open I was strong; I work hard like physically, so I feel great even if I have like long match. Basically I feel great. I hope the conditions will be better, and then I have like couple interesting like match to come one against Richard so I will try to play the best tennis I can. I know I can made it through the quarters, so I will try to take my chances on Monday.
Q. Do you think there's a lot of differences between your's and Richard's game?
GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, a lot. I think Richard is more talented than me in couple ways. Like he can adapt more about the conditions. Then I think I'm stronger than him physically, and maybe a bit mentally, also. Sometime he is like too defensive, like me. So actually it will be a good match, and we will see who's going to put like more pressure on the opponent.
Q. You're known for those incredible slides on the court. What do they feel like...
GAËL MONFILS: When I do it?
Q. Yes.
GAËL MONFILS: I don't know. Simple.
Q. Is it something that just came from your clay court play?
GAËL MONFILS: Exactly. Yes. You know, sometime I won't know -- you know, like if I ask me to do it right now, I think I can't. During the match, I'm on. So, I mean, I don't know yet like how to do it, but maybe I will I will teach my kids. (Smiling.)
Q. Do you think your style of play leads to your injuries? Can you work off court to prevent injuries in the future?
GAËL MONFILS: I think my injuries is more about my body. I think the style I play, I think my knee I grew too fast and my knees have a problem, and then I had like wrist problem, because eventually I fell on grass court. But everyone can fell on grass court. But then I don't think my style play have something with my injury.
Q. Are you thinking about the match against Argentina for Davis Cup? I mean, do you think about that when you're on the court?
GAËL MONFILS: Not at all, because the captain he doesn't -- I mean, obviously we don't know who's on the team, so maybe I'm not on the team. So I don't think about it.
Q. Do you think France is actually the favorite to win that match?
GAËL MONFILS: I don't know, because we don't know who's on the team for you guys. We know exactly who's gonna be on the team. But us, we don't know is on the team. Can be everyone. So we wait and see after the Open who Guy will choose, and then we will have an idea.
US Open, postać 8. dnia: Gaël Monfils
Niezwykle efektowny i wyjątkowo skuteczny Gaël Monfils (ATP 19) to postać ósmego dnia US Open. Francuz w bratobójczym pojedynku pokonał Richarda Gasquet (ATP 38) zapewniając sobie miejsce w ćwierćfinale. Był to pierwszy w erze otwartej francuski pojedynek w 1/8 finału US Open.
Gaël chce tworzyć zapierające dech w piersiach widowiska, dawać radość kibicom na korcie i przed telewizorami, dlatego nie zmieni swojego stylu gry, choć co jakiś czas odzywają się u niego problemy ze stawami kolanowymi. Można było drżeć o jego zdrowie, gdy raz za razem ślizgał się po betonie na Flushing Meadows. Biegający jak szalony do każdej piłki Francuz za pomocą jednego forhendu potrafi przejść z głębokiej defensywy do ataku
. Znany też jest z pozytywnego nastawienia, nawet gdy sytuacja na korcie jest dla niego bardzo niekorzystna oraz ze spontanicznego celebrowania radości po zdobytych punktach. Potrafi tańczyć na korcie bawiąc się z kibicami, przez co jest jednym z ich ulubieńców na całym świecie. Ale z tego też wynika jego największa wada, częste utraty koncentracji. Także i w meczu z Gasquet mu się to przytrafiło, ale nie pozwolił sobie odebrać seta, choć w partii III przegrywał 2:5.
Monfils wykańcza fizycznie
- To ja jestem gościem, to ja jestem liderem - chciał udowodnić swojemu przyjacielowi Gasquet. - Chciałem poddać go testowi
fizycznemu. Miał wiedzieć, że jeżeli podejdzie bliżej, to ja zawsze będę gotowy - powiedział drugi singlista Francji, który wcale nie czuje się liderem swoich rodaków w Nowym Jorku.
Monfilsowi nie przeszkadza nawierzchnia DecoTurf, po której próbuje ślizgać się jak na mączce. - Mogę grać
wszędzie - przyznał półfinalista Roland Garros 2008. Wygrał bez straty seta, ale obronił w sumie trzy setbole. Drugi set, szansa dla Gasquet: - Widziałem, że nie ma już tej głowy. Po obronie tej piłki wiedziałem, że jak go przycisnę, to będzie przełamanie i miałem rację. Chciałem złamać go fizycznie, a dodatkowo mentalnie - powiedział Monfils.
Chce być bardziej ofensywny: - To następny krok, następny poziom, na który chcę wejść. Muszę użyć swoich umiejętności
do tego, by bardziej atakować. Choć oczywiście z moją fizycznością preferuję poruszanie się po linii końcowej. O ćwierćfinale z Đokoviciem (bilans 0-4): - Znam Novaka perfekcyjnie. Pokonał mnie dwa razy na mojej ziemi, więc czas na mnie.
Monfils w juniorskiej karierze w 2003 roku zaliczył finał prestiżowego turnieju Orange Bowl (w finale przegrał z Marcosem Baghdatisem), a w kolejnym sezonie wygrał trzy z czterech wielkoszlemowych turniejów: Australian Open, Roland Garros i Wimbledon. Jeszcze w 2004 roku w Metz debiutował w turnieju rangi ATP i doszedł tam do ćwierćfinału przegrywając z Gasquet. Rok później w Sopocie zdobył swój pierwszy tytuł w ATP World Tour i znalazł się w czołowej 50 rankingu
ATP. Choć przez pierwsze dwa miesiące sezonu 2008 pauzował z powodu kontuzji kolana w Roland Garros doszedł do półfinału notując najlepszy start w Wielkim Szlemie. W 2009 roku wygrał 42 mecze (to jego najlepszy sezonowy rekord), w Roland Garros zaliczył drugi wielkoszlemowy ćwierćfinał, w Metz zdobył drugi tytuł, w Paryżu zanotował pierwszy finał w ATP World Tour Masters 1000 oraz zadebiutował w czołowej 10 rankingu ATP (w lutym). W lipcu 2010 roku osiągnął 10. w karierze finał turnieju ATP.
US Open 2010 - wywiad po zwycięstwie w 4 rundzie
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. First of all, great three setter today. You played fabulous. Last time you spoke, you had mentioned that you felt Richard was a stronger player than you were, and that you were most likely gonna face difficulty today. I think it was very clear that you took control of the match right off the bat. I wanted to know what kind of mentality did you go into the match with where it just showed where you were just, I'm winning this match, this isn't going past three sets.
GAËL MONFILS: I mean, yeah, I tried to be very tough and very hard with him, showing him that I'm the man and I'm the leader, you know. So I think I try also to get him a bit in the head, to show him like I will be strong and he might hit like good shot, but it's okay. For me it's like nothing. I will try and reach every ball and show him, like I told you, like put him like physical test today. I mean, try to have long rallies, and then if he come in, I will be everywhere. I think I did pretty good today.
Q. Your best Grand Slam successes have been at the French Open, but do you consider yourself a much better clay court player than the other surfaces?
GAËL MONFILS: Not really. I mean, not really. I think I can play everywhere. I mean, this year was a bit tough before the Slam. It's the worst year I think I played in slam. But before I was usually in round of 16 for sure, and then had like pretty tough opponents. Here I had small opportunity, so I think I took it. Now I will see if there will be more opportunities for the next one.
Q. He had some set points in this match. Maybe they could have gone either way. What did you tell yourself when he was that close to winning the set? How did you stay strong and approach those points?
GAËL MONFILS: I mean, I get lucky, I think, in the first set point he had in second set, because he could like pass me like easy. But he show me at that time he was not that good mentally. He show me like he was, I won't say weak, but it was like shaky a bit. Then I knew he missed, and I knew if I closed this game then he will break for sure if I put pressure on him. I was right. And then in the third set he get a bit lucky because I have like mini break points. I didn't made it, and then he broke me. It was the first time he was leading in the third set, so I knew to close it will be hard for him. Because he was in front, but, I mean, it was a bit luck. I save maybe six break point before, so I knew it's going to be hard for him to close it, so just try to play solid.
Q. Just what?
GAËL MONFILS: Try to play solid, put him a bit pressure on his forehand. He actually missed, and then he give me free points, double fault, I think. Then that was it.
Q. Did you have confidence in that third set when you were down a break that maybe you might not have had if you were down a break in the first set just because you had seen him be kind of shaky to that point?
GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, I was still confident. I won't lie, on that one set point, I had like to hit backhand passing shot. It was tough. But then when you save it, you know, for sure I knew if it was my set point and miss it like this, I knew like I will be thinking or this or that. Just try to be solid, put pressure for him. And also, Richard, he doesn't really like pressure. He love like good play, not play. He don't like a lot of crowd around, the crowd involved. He don't like see the opponent like show emotions. Just play with that, play a bit with his mind, and that was it.
Q. You won in three straight sets. Do you feel like it could have gone either way?
GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, it could have gone -- I mean, I could have got two sets down, for sure. Two sets down. But like I told you, I mean, my mentality today was to push him like hard in head and hard in physically and try to break him physically and break him in the head. That was my plan.
Q. Could you talk about the rivalry I guess in French men's tennis, and how Tsonga is not here and you're the top Frenchman now?
GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, Jo, we miss him for sure, because we need him for our country. I think he's a great player. I mean, we have like good guys coming up. I mean, now I'm the leader, but I don't consider myself like the leader. I think we have like Michael Llodra. He as well played very good; he's playing maybe his best tennis now and he is very dangerous. Richard is back I think his level. Then we got like Julien Benneteau played well also this week. So I think I'm in front because I was a bit more solid last year, I think. But I think we are like five, six, very tough and competitive for France. So now I'm the last one, but I get a bit lucky. And also, I not consider myself like the leader.
Q. Tipsarevic said after the last match he feels you're one of the best defensive players in tennis. Are you sort of able to use that speed offensively too and aggressively as you showed at times today? Is that something you're trying to do?
GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, I mean, for sure this is the next step. This is the next level. I think I have to reach it to use my ability to be more offensive, because for sure will help me. And I can do it, but is tougher and also is really different for me. I have another vision maybe on the court when I'm a bit, let's say, scared. For me it's more easy to run and move on my baseline and step back. To step in sometime is tough. I know I can cover it, but I need to improve on that. But slowly I think I try a couple points, couple games, to move forward. I hope I will arrive very soon.
Q. The New York crowd, because you're such a showman, they really seem to love to watch you. Do you feel that energy and can you use it?
GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, a lot. They helped me for sure in the second set. After I served the set point, I think I ask a bit the crowd to get involved, and they did. Then was great. That's why, you know, I broke him straightaway, because I had like positive energy. I love when it's intense. I love it. It make me feel like I'm stronger again. So for sure when the crowd get involved I play my best tennis.
Q. What is your opinion for the lack of teenagers in the top 100 making a big impact? What is your opinion for the lack of young players, teenagers, making an impact on the men's tour?
GAËL MONFILS: (Through translation.) Ah, that's a good question. I mean, you just tell me. I wouldn't know, but they will arrive. I mean, I not really follow like juniors, so it's tough. But I think Nishikori is still young, I think, no?
Q. He's not a teenager.
GAËL MONFILS: No? Ah. So I don't know. Maybe my brother. (Laughter.) My brother is on the way, 17. Two years.
Q. Playing either Novak or Mardy in the next round, do you have a preference on who you'd rather face?
GAËL MONFILS: Not really, because both will be tough and totally different. I mean, if I play Mardy he will be at home, so the crowd for sure will cheer for him. Not against me, but for him. So it will be like different. And also, his type of game is tough game. He's very aggressive; he try to play like two, three hits, he come in often to the net, so it's kind of game you need to be focused like every point, every second. So it will be a tough match. And Novak is different. I can get the crowd behind me. I know him like perfectly. We had like always tough match. And then, damn I had revenge to take it, because he won against me at home in Bercy. So this time I hope to win.
Q. Of course when the crowd is behind you it helps tremendously. But if the crowd is majority rooting for Fish, do you think that will affect your game at all?
GAËL MONFILS: I can love it also, you know, sometime. But I don't know really how I will react, so it will be a good experience. But I try my best, for sure.
#3) Montpellier 2010
R32 Bye
R16 Steve Darcis 64 64
Q John Isner 36 64 64
S Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 76(2) 26 64
W Ivan Ljubicic 62 57 61
Monfils shows form to win in Montpellier
Gael Monfils showed his best form less than six weeks before the Davis Cup final by beating Croat Ivan Ljubicic 6-2 5-7 6-1 to win the Open Sud de France title.
Frenchman Monfils, the third seed, survived a lapse in concentration in the second set to seal victory in one hour and 52 minutes and claim his third ATP title.
Monfils proved more solid on his serve to dominate the fourth-seeded Ljubicic.
"I'm really happy. These results show I have been working. I had some doubts all year long and I'm relieved I can finally lift a trophy," Monfils told reporters.
The local favourite, gunning for a place in the French team for the Davis Cup final in Belgrade against Serbia, raced through the opening set.
He broke early in the second but Ljubicic hit back and took Monfils's serve in the 11th game to level the match.
"Since I was 3-1 in the second set, I did not serve as well and I paid for it right away. I tried not to panic, to stay in the match and played more simply," Monfils said. Monfils rallied and snatched five games in a row before sealing victory with his 11th ace.
Lundgren zachwycony Monfilsem!
http://www.eurosport.fr/tennis/balles-b … tory.shtml
Trener Wawrinki nie potrafił znaleźć słów, by opisać formę, w jakiej znajduje się obecnie Gael Monfils. Francuz pokonał wczoraj Stanislasa 6-2 6-4 w 2 rundzie zawodów w Walencji.
"To był najlepszy mecz Gaela, jaki widziałem. Gra dużo agresywniej niż do tej pory, skraca wymiany, z dnia na dzień staje się innym tenisistą niż był nim do tej pory" - komplemetnował Francuza były trener Federera i Safina.
Monfils wygrał 6 ostatnich spotkań w ATP Tour.
Taa, pewnie też zmienił uchwyt rakiety. :D
jaccol55 napisał:
Taa, pewnie też zmienił uchwyt rakiety. :D
Chyba do serwisu. :D
Monfils says he's fine after pre-Davis Cup cold
Ad hoc French team leader Gael Monfils has arrived in Belgrade for the Davis Cup final with an innocent explanation about his absence from some practise sessions last week.
Monfils kept all informed of his movements through his Twitter feed, which praised the team hotel and showed off the commemorative polo shirt given to players.
Monfils said he had been cleared to miss training after suffering with a cold, that following a trip to chilly Britain and then to the warm island of Martinique after his ATP season ended. "Everything is fine, like everyone, I have colds," he said, adding: "I have the right to blow my nose without everyone thinking I have a crazy virus."
Monfills will be the point man for the visitors against hyped-up Serbia as the new nation bids for it's first-ever title in the worldwide team competition. Monfils will be carrying the load due to the knee injury absence of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga,
But Monfils was noticeably off court during preliminary training, and underwent a scan for a problem with his foot. Officials later described it as inflammation between two bones of the foot, with Monfils calling it all "nothing serious."
The world No. 12 will play lead singles for France and could also be on call for doubles if necessary, depending on the thoughts of captain Guy Forget, who is also missing Julien Benneteau through a wrist problem.
The Last Word: ATP No. 12, Gael Monfils
Monfils was a star for the French Davis Cup team
and played some of his best tennis in his home
country, winning Montpellier and reaching the Bercy final.
Best of 2010
The Frenchman played his strongest tennis of the season in front of adoring fans at the Paris Masters. The acrobatic 24-year-old was given a murderous draw to the final, yet he managed to beat Fernando Verdasco, Andy Murray and Roger Federer in succession before losing to Robin Soderling.
Worst of 2010
Monfils contended for titles from the beginning of the season to the end—including the Davis Cup final—though he stumbled a bit in late May and early June. Monfils was upset by Potito Starace in Nice, Fabio Fognini at Roland Garros (remember that match?) and Rainer Schuettler at Queen’s Club. In his next tournament, Wimbledon, Monfils suffered a third-round exit at the hands of Lleyton Hewitt.
Year in Review
Monfils won 46 matches in 2010, though he only had one title to show for it, a 250 in Montpellier. Still, he was repeatedly in contention. He reached three finals, two semifinals and made the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.
Looking beyond the numbers, Monfils showed more diversity in his game this year. The sculpted Frenchman, who at times can rely too heavily on his admittedly exceptional defensive skills, showed an aggressive side late in the season, at Montpellier, Paris and the Davis Cup final, where he gave France an early 1-0 lead. His serve matured into a more consistent and lethal weapon. Combined with his explosiveness and competitive nature, Monfils showed how dangerous he can be.
See for Yourself
Monfils’ signature win in 2010 was his dramatic defeat of Federer in the Paris semis. The Frenchman saved an astonishing five match points and won a deciding tiebreaker to reach the final:
The Last Word
Monfils has proven that he can beat the best, but he’s yet to win a high-profile tournament—a significant blemish on his record. But that should be the next step, taken next season. Look for Monfils to break through and win a Masters event in 2011, pushing him into the Top 10.
—Brad Kallett
2010 w liczbach
Ranking: 12
Turnieje: 1 (Montpellier)
Finały: 3 (Stuttgart, Tokio, Paryż-Bercy)
Mecze: 46-20
Zarobki: $1,303,546
Nie był to zły rok dla Francuza może na początku grał słabo ale ogólnie się cieszę z jego postawy.
AO 2011 - wywiad po zwycięstwie w 1 rundzie
Q. Can you tell us about the first two sets and how you got back into the game.
GAEL MONFILS: I think I start pretty good the match. Nice hitting. Was great. And then I sort of drop a bit and, I don't know, get a bit tight. Maybe Thiemo went for his shots more.
Then I start to a bit struggling and have like maybe negative like maybe mind. Like maybe I was too far away again. Then start to feel heaviest, like Thiemo's pressure. Then I just try to hold and believe in myself and try to think about simple things, like do like maybe move a bit faster and move my legs more and just fire up a bit.
And then actually it turn a bit and Thiemo get tight and also tired, I think. So then the key was easier to defend.
Q. What did Roger say to you afterwards?
GAEL MONFILS: He was happy. He was happy. He told me it was great because I play good the first set actually, and then, yeah, I have a very bad period. But he was happy because I found the strength to get back on the court. He knows I'm hitting good the ball. I feel great. So he knows how the match, that can sometimes happen.
He was more than happy. He told me, You did a great match. It wasn't the best match, but you're hitting great the ball. You show like something else like mentally, so he was quite happy.
Q. That ability to win from anywhere, is that something you've been working with him on?
GAEL MONFILS: Actually, I won't say I tried working that because it just happens. If I could win three sets, I will be more than happy.
Is more like, yeah, I show myself like sometime when it's very bad, I need to keep believe. For sure like couple years ago I couldn't hear like this. I was like, Okay, I'm done with that three sets. Thiemo was serving great, and it's okay.
I just try to compete; be talking with my team as well help me. And actually one point change something, and then I just take the ball and survive. And then I think I'm good player, so the win turn.
Q. I was in my hotel room, and I saw that de Bakker was serving for the match, and you took it to a fifth set. Honestly, did you think you were going out?
GAEL MONFILS: Like I can't say, you know, I was so sure. But, I mean, in my mind, you know, I have the strength to say, I'm feeling good. I mean, I have like no major problem. I try just to make him struggling a bit and try to make him own the win. And then actually that was the key. I think he get tighter and then start to struggle physically.
Then when you find a little solution, you just dive on it. And then I keep it in my mind. I was just try to play simple, hold it, like move him a bit, he's a bit tight, he knows I can run. So it was just the basic stuff in my mind.
And then when I get back at 5 All, I was like I had a strong belief like, Oh, I could make him play like more and even go to the fifth. In the fifth, we never know. I knew he would tank the fourth one. I knew like in the start of the fifth would be the key. I had to hold him like to show him physically I was more than hundred percent and mentally I was back to get him.
So it seems that was the key.
Q. Is that one of your best wins or maybe one of your most satisfying, given you were so far behind?
GAEL MONFILS: Yeah. Maybe I think it's the first time, yeah, I come back from two set down and even a break. So, yeah, I think it's a great win. So I'm happy with that.
Q. Do you think you can go all the way this tournament?
GAEL MONFILS: I mean, I feel like I have a second round first, and then I think deeper. I have time because, as you know, the first week in a Grand Slam is very hard to pass, and then it's a new tournament.
So I will say I focus about my second match and then I will see.
Q. Were you surprised he tanked the fourth set?
GAEL MONFILS: Maybe I was surprised it turned like earlier in the fourth like that. Because the first two game, he won it, but he was like in the edge. And then I saw he was tanking. Yeah, maybe if I break him early, yeah, he would tank and then be ready in the fifth. I was kind of surprised.
But I know Thiemo a bit. I know sometime he snap in the head. So this is like a strong belief. We know like he can snap. It's a weakness for him. So you play with that.
You know, before the match, my coach, Rog, told me, Sometimes Thiemo is not a big believer. When I saw that, you get it (snapping fingers). So you tank, be ready in the fifth, because I will. Maybe this is play for me today.
Dłuższa przerwa Monfilsa
Francuski tenisista, z powodu kontuzji lewego nadgarstka, został wyłączony z gry na okres od 4 do 6 tygodni. Start Gaela w turnieju ATP w Acapulco jest więc wykluczony.
Potwierdzenie powyższego:
Monfils could miss a month with wrist injury
Gael Monfils will miss from four to six weeks of play and could be in doubt for next month's Masters 1000 at Indian Wells after reaching the semi-finals in San Jose but withdrawing with a lingering wrist injury.
The French number 12 is also out of his nation's Davis Cup first round next month against Austria, coming three months after France were beaten in the Davis final by Serbia.
Monfils withdrew from the ATP San Jose indoor event after his quarter-final win due to problems with the wrist which he originally hurt at the Australian Open. He had been feeling pain all week.
Monfils lamented his plight on his Twitter feed as well as post-match, "I can’t hit a backhand, I tried but it was very soft. It hurts. It hurts.” The injury will give Monfils' coach Roger Rasheed another month at home in Australia as he works to set up a personal charity to aid in-need children in the country.
RG 2011 - konferencja po zwycięstwie w 2 rundzie.
http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/multi … 00103.html
RG 2011 - konferencja po zwycięstwie w 3 rundzie.
http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/multi … 00164.html
"I’d go to a rap concert with Svetlana Kuznetsova"
Gael, which player would you choose…
To share a good bottle of wine with?
I don't drink, so that puts a damper on things. But if it was to share a Magnum of Fanta with, I'd choose Jo (Tsonga).
To take to your favourite restaurant?
Can I say Jo again? No? Well then, I'll say Juan Monaco. He's such a cool guy, and so generous I'd be sure to have a good time.
To accompany you to the Cannes film festival?
I need a girl! Or multiple girls! I think the best would be to show up on the red carpet with five of them.
To go out on the town with in Las Vegas?
Dustin Brown. I love that guy, he's so cool. It would be incredible to go wild in Vegas with him.
As master of ceremonies for your wedding?
Well, if it's a wedding along the same lines as this interview, Mike Llodra, of course.
Never to train with?
I can't think of anybody. Lopez said Karlovic? No, I think it's good to train with someone who has a big serve. It's always useful to work on your return.
To take to a football match?
Richard Gasquet. He's a fan of Paris Saint German, so it'd be at their home stadium, the Parc des Princes.
To interview if you were a journalist?
(He thinks for a while). The Williams sisters. I know them a bit, but I'm sure they're really interesting. They're quite mysterious, so it would be good to ask them a few questions.
To take fishing?
Jo (Tsonga).
To take to see your favourite band?
Hmmm…I really wouldn't mind going to see some rap with Svetlana (Kutznetsova). She's a great chick, she's fantastic. I love her.
To play mixed doubles with?
Too much choice! I prefer to leave that one open.
To go and see stand-up comedy with?
Andrea Petkovic. She's a really nice girl, she's always smiling and laughing.
To open a bar with?
France's Davis Cup team.
To be your spokesperson?
Gilles Simon, he never stops talking.
To hit on girls with?
Jo, again. He's not the biggest flirt but we have an excellent track record (he laughs).
RG 2011 - konferencja po zwycięstwie w 4 rundzie.
http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/multi … 001ee.html
RG 2011 - konferencja po porażce w ćwierćfinale.
http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/multi … 00221.html
06.06.2011
Najwyższa pozycja w karierze: 8
Wimbledon 2011 - wywiad po zwycięstwie w 1 rundzie
G. Monfils bt M. Bachinger 6 4, 7 6, 6 3
Q. I just want to know how satisfied are you with today's performance?
GAËL MONFILS: It's good to win a first match in slam, especially in grass. It takes a little bit time to feel really good on grass, so I'm happy to win in straight set today.
Q. What about the next round?
GAËL MONFILS: I don't know. I didn't see. I don't know who...
Q. You are playing Slovakian qualifier, Grega Zemlja.
GAËL MONFILS: Who?
Q. Greg Zemlja.
GAËL MONFILS: I didn't check.
Q. Do you know anything? Are you familiar with him?
GAËL MONFILS: You just tell me. I don't know who I'm supposed to play. It wasn't Kendrick or... (In French.)
Q. No. He is lucky loser. Do you know anything about him, the way he plays or something like that?
GAËL MONFILS: No.
Q. Never heard of him?
GAËL MONFILS: Yes, I saw his name, but I don't watch my draw, you know. Just match after match. But I don't know. Just I saw I was playing Kendrick or qualifier, so now you tell me.
Q. Do you think the qualifiers have some advantage because of the bad weather in the past few days and prepare a little bit more matches?
GAËL MONFILS: I don't know if it's advantage, but for sure they have good match because they need to win three matches.
Q. Two.
GAËL MONFILS: Two?
Q. Lucky loser. Yes, now three.
GAËL MONFILS: Yeah. But I played last week as well, so it's the same. It's always tough to play a qualifier and someone you don't really know. Like today, the opponent I played, it was tough because I never saw him playing.
So it's always tough and tricky, but all I can tell you is I will bring my game Wednesday, and then I will try to impose my style. And then for sure I will see how he's playing, and I hope I will have a good match.
04.07.2011
Najwyższa pozycja w karierze: 7