Monfils Claps Back At People Saying 'He's Not Disciplined' Because Of On-Court Show

Monday, 20 May 2024 at 15:05

byZachary Wimer

Gael Monfils is in the final years of his tennis career, still enjoying his time on the court, but there are some people who criticize his showmanship.

For a very long time, the Frenchman has been a fan favorite, but it's that showmanship for fans that many hardcore tennis purists have held against him. Monfils is no stranger to some odd choices on the court, but while it happens to everybody, he often falls into the trap of trying to impress the crowd instead of focusing on winning the point.

Despite that, he had an amazing tennis career, winning a handful of trophies and peaking at world number six at a time when that was anything but easy.

Playing at the height of the Big Three wasn't easy, but Monfils had a career that will be fondly remembered among tennis fans. As for his detractors, he has some words for them when recently speaking to Tumaini Cayarol of the Guardian.

"[People say] ‘Ah, Monfils is not disciplined. Guys, don’t think this because I’m enjoying myself on the court. The work I do outside is big. I’m lucky because some people [believed in me], but some people? Let’s say you don’t really know me, I call you and you’ve heard a lot of stories, you’ve seen my personality on the court."

What is most important to Monfils in all of this is that he realized his dream. When he started, nobody really believed in him, but he did, and he made it happen.

"It’s tough [to believe] when I tell you I wake up at seven, I run for two hours, that I can do this work. It’s like this. ‘Yeah, I do it."

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"Some people try to compare my wife and I. My wife looks super-professional in a way and me I don’t look professional in a way. But that’s not really the case because I have my work ethic. I’m working."

"It’s funny but in the end, it’s not hurting me. The only thing I want is for people to never forget that to succeed or whatever, you don’t have to listen to other people."

Now, at this age, he's still competing, and he still has it. He's up there in age, but he's proving that he still has it, and he'll try to do that at Roland Garros, even though people are reminding him of his age.

"Sometimes, I won’t lie, I was doubting a little bit. I’m getting a little bit old. I hurt myself. You need to do all this [work]. It’s not easy to come back here."

"Last year, I was home and trying to call people: ‘Hey, you want to work with me?’ People forget that I still have it and you try to convince the people you still have it. ‘Yeah, but you’re 37 …’"