The ultimate goal of professional athletes is to win at the highest level for as long as you can. In the world of tennis, the biggest barometer is how many Grand Slams you did or didn’t win. Everything else typically trickles down from there. Gael Monfils has been to exactly 2 Grand Slam semifinals in his career.
Yet, that almost comes as an afterthought as Monfils was such a unicorn in the sport that the way he played and the way he entertained, simply transcended the results of a tournament.
That’s not to say that the exhilarating Frenchman didn’t win. 526 tour-level wins and 11 career titles speak loud and clear. In addition, he has been a runner-up on a remarkable 22 occasions.
He has reached one ATP Final in every season since 2005. An incredible stat of consistency for a player that was so up and down from match to match and month to month. The way he threw his body around made staying healthy one of his biggest foes.
Gael Monfils was a unique player in so many ways
It was this carefree mindset when he stepped on the court that endeared him to fans worldwide. Whether it’s a jumping overhead smash, sliding into the splits to reach a drop shot and have his return just trickle across the tape and so much more, you knew when you turned on one of his matches you were probably going to see something you have never seen before.
Monfils turned pro in 2004 and was a part of the “Golden Generation” of French tennis along with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet, and Gilles Simon.
These four men were supposed to rack up Major titles between them. As things turned out, they have all combined to win exactly 0 Grand Slams. Yet, while we do wonder what could have been, we cherish each of these players in their own way.
The play of Gael Monfils
The explosive power of Tsonga. Gasquet and his remarkable one-handed backhand. Simon with his grit and consistency across the board. Finally, Monfils and his supreme athleticism are matched only by his showmanship.
While playing tennis in high school and college myself, I modeled my game after Monfils and David Ferrer. I would intentionally react slowly to a ball so I would be required to do a sliding split to reach the ball. Those “oo’s and ahh’s” from the crowd never got old.
Just multiply that feeling by about 125 times and I understand why Monfils did what he did.
(To watch a highlight video of all the best Gael Monfils moments would take roughly 3 hours. However, something like this montage should get the point across.)
He did not have the grace and precision of Roger Federer. He doesn’t have the iron will of a Rafa Nadal. Nor has he ever had the mental strength on the court of a Novak Djokovic.
He was his own player, and it was almost as if he was painting a picture of chaos each time he stepped on the court. You got the feeling he didn’t have a game plan going on a lot of the time, he would react purely on feel.
There were numerous occasions where he would prefer to hit looping topspin shots back and keep rallies going even though we all knew he had the tools to end points at will. His massive forehand and serve would flash out of the blue making tennis fans and pundits ask why not more? I don’t even think Monfils would have a straight answer.
He once said; “For me, tennis is a sport, you know? It’s not a job, it’s a sport.” This attitude gave him the ability to play with a freedom that others cannot. Being a tennis player at the highest level is one of the most mentally taxing things you can do.
Gael Monfils indelible mark
In this way, Monfils gave himself the ability to cope and truly enjoy what he was able to do around the world.
His reckless style took its toll over the years as has missed 15 Grand Slam events since 2005. When he was at the big events, his game did not translate against the best. Monfils is 2-14 against Nadal. 4-10 against Federer and a stunning 0-18 against Novak.
He would typically cap out around the 3rd or 4th round at the Majors. But you knew in those handful of matches he was there, it was must-see TV. That was almost more important than him winning. That singular moment of Monfils magic made you wonder, how the heck did he do that?
Few players can ever share that kind of gift in sports. To do it all the time for nearly 20 years is something else entirely.
Even now, at 36 years old and ranked almost 400th in the world, he is making another run in Washington at the ATP 500 event. As of this writing, he is locked in a 3rd set battle for a Quarterfinal berth.
Yet, in previous rounds, he is still flying through the air for overheads and making something out of nothing. It’s intrinsic to who he is. His tennis DNA is to put on the best show possible first and foremost. Winning is a nice bonus.
While that is backward to what one might think for someone at the highest level of athletics, but it worked for him. He reached a career-high of No. 6 in the world and his aforementioned stats above will always be there. Did he leave more on the table in his career? Perhaps, but what he did capture, the hearts and memories of tennis fans around the world, is more than enough for the one and only Monfils.
He will be missed whenever he finally stops playing for good. Until then, when he takes the court stop whatever you’re doing and sit down. You’re bound to see something spectacular.