Gael Monfils was happy to win a match again, but he was less happy about facing Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of the 2024 Cincinnati Open because he deems the Spaniard already a legend.
While Alcaraz is undoubtedly on pace to become a tennis legend, it's fascinating that Monfils already called him a legend. A case can be made for it because the 21-year-old has already achieved a lot on the ATP Tour.
He's up to four Grand Slams already, which is more than Andy Murray has won in his tennis career, for example. He also has some signature achievements, such as being the youngest man to be come the world number one player ever.
Feats like that don't happen with regular players. That's what legends do, and Monfils certainly sees the Spaniard in superlatives. It doesn't come from talk only because Monfils had a chance to see Alcaraz up close.
They've already played twice so far, and the Spaniard won both matches. The first meeting came at the Indian Wells Open in 2022, and it was an easy win for Alcaraz, 7-5, 6-1. Their second match came earlier this year in Miami, and it was another easy win for Alcaraz 6-2, 6-4.
Matches like those gave Monfils a good idea of what kind of player Alcaraz is. The Frenchman's longevity in the sport saw him play some of the best players ever, so he can also compare well.
In that sense, ahead of their third match, Monfils described Alcaraz as on the same level as players like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer.
"He’s a complete athlete, in terms of speed, endurance, power. And then his tennis, of course, is quite complete, too. Backhand, forehand, it's quite hard to see where you can (hit)."
"He improved a lot on the return, he’s serving big. He’s just a really complete player. At the moment, I see him (the same) as Novak, as Rafa, as Roger, for me. He’s just a bit younger, but he’s already a legend."
It's high praise from one of the most respected tennis players in recent history. Monfils has been around for a long time and has seen everything. He doesn't give such praise often, but if he does, he believes in what he says.
It's not the first time a former or current player has praised Alcaraz. He really is that good, and that's why most people were shocked when they saw Novak Djokovic beat him in the Olympic final.
Obviously, that match had some highly specific circumstances that impacted public opinion, but Alcaraz is certainly a unique player, and Monfils is looking forward to facing him again.
"For me, it's always cool to play such a big star like Carlos or Jannik—or of course, in my day it was Novak, Rafa, Roger. But to play those youngsters, it's always a pleasure."
"It's gonna be a great fun for me. Obviously, really tough, but it's gonna be something that I will remember for a couple years."