"I had the impression that people wanted me to quit tennis" admits Gael Monfils after slump on comeback
ATP
French tennis star Gael Monfils has expressed his opinion
that people wanted him to retire last year from professional tennis. The
37-year-old is slowly but surely coming towards the end of his career and he
has admitted time and again that he is not far away from calling it quits.
Monfils is currently taking part in the Monte-Carlo Masters
where he has booked his place in the second round after beating Aleksandar Vukic
with a score of 6-7, 6-3, 7-5. The Paris-born was recently quoted in a report
where he stated that he felt people wanted him to retire last year.
“Well, when I said that last year, I was 400 in the world,”
he said. “But I'm not even thinking about that, because last year I wrote
various articles on LinkedIn and I read them recently, and a year ago I had the
impression that people wanted me to quit tennis. I was 400 in the world. People
don't let you believe in your own dreams. People don't know you.
“This is why I try to have interactions with my real fans. I
don't need to win 20 tournaments, but if I win one match here, another match
there, this is what it is about. There are only the legends who won everything.
They don't allow you to say, you know, ‘I'm 36, I'm 400 in the world, and I
still want to come back to a good level.’ Everybody was laughing at me at the
time.”
Gael Monfils remains optimistic about playing tennis at highest level
Monfils will now face the current world number four Russia’s
Daniil Medvedev in the round of 32 clash on Wednesday. This will be the fourth meeting
between the two. In the previous three meetings, the French tennis star had a
slight edge with two wins compared to just one win of the one-time Grand Slam winner.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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