Gael Monfils

The world of tennis can be exceedingly unpredictable in nature, with a highly successful season followed by a period of instability and failure in the majority of cases. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic are considered some of the greatest in the world of tennis because of their supreme consistency, and ability to churn out success consistently. However, not many take into account the supreme performances by French tennis player Gael Monfils. Monfils reached at least 1 final in 16 straight seasons from 2005 to 2020, which is certainly awe-inspiring, to say the least. This includes prestigious tournaments like the ATP Masters 1000s in 2009 Paris, 2010 Paris and 2016 Monte Carlo in an indication of his prowess. Monfils has enjoyed great success in ATP Tours with 10 titles, which includes ATP 500s in 2016 Washington, 2019 Rotterdam and 2020 Rotterdam.

The Frenchman has won 10 singles career titles over the course of his career so far. Monfils came very close to winning a grand slam in the 2008 edition of the French Open after reaching the semi-finals, going on to reach the same level in the 2016 US Open. The Frenchman's qualification for the semi-finals in 2008, marked the instance of a player from the nation reaching the platform since 2001. Monfils was defeated by Roger Federer but certainly did his reputation no harm, with a spirited performance. The Frenchman enjoyed a fine start to the 2016 US Open, reaching the semifinals without dropping a set. He defeated prominent players like Gilles Muller, Jan Sátral, Nicolás Almagro, Marcos Baghdatis and Lucas Pouille till that stage, eventually suffering a loss against Djokovic in four sets.

One of the biggest weapons in Monfils' arsenal is his superb technique while executing strokes, which enables him to pose a strong challenge even when taking on some of the best in the business. The Frenchman also enjoys great strength with regard to executing returns, which makes it a tough prospect for the opponent. Monfils' forehand is perfectly balanced with fine upper body turns as well as fine swing enabling him to connect astutely while maintaining head position. The Frenchman's backhand is also a vital weapon, with a lot of variety with the shot. Monfils blends a mix of cross-court topspin shots, dicey angles and flat winners to deflate the opponent. The Frenchman further enjoys great work ethics as evident from his statements in an interaction with atptour.com.

“People think that we’re talented, gifted. Nothing is gifted, nothing is about talent, it’s about work. You work harder than everyone else. People mistake working and winning. You can work really hard and not win, not have the result you want. It’s tough. For all the players on the Tour [at ITF Futures, Challengers and the ATP Tour], they are working from a young age. I’m here now because I’ve worked hard, my parents worked hard and fought very hard to give me the possibility to one day play tennis at the top level,” said Monfils.

“Sometime haters would say or misunderstand how lucky I am to be doing what I'm doing, to be healthy and play my sport and passion. For me, tennis is a sport, yeah, some people would say my job. It's my job, yes, but it's a sport. It's my passion. I can play with kids for hours. Playing Grand Slams for me is just a passion. When I'm on the court, it's a blessing,” he added.

Grand Slam singles record

Australian Open: QF (2016)

French Open: SF (2008)

Wimbledon: 4R (2018)

US Open: SF (2016)