Gael Monfils has completed a satisfying North American tour with a second-round loss at the US Open on Thursday. So now, “priority to Madame to go do something nice,” he said at a press conference, in reference to his wife Elina Svitolina who is still in contention in the third round.
On Thursday, Monfils lost to world No. 8 Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. On Friday, he will celebrate his 37th birthday.
After months of treating a foot injury that occurred in Canada last summer and then to the wrist which forced him to forfeit before his second round at Roland-Garros, he had returned to tournaments during the North American summer tour on hard. He reached the round of 16 in Washington, the quarterfinals at the Masters 1000 in Toronto and again the 8th at the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati with three victories against players from the World Top 15 (Tsitsipas, Norrie and De Minaur).
How did you experience this game against Rublev? “I didn’t serve well, and that didn’t make me feel good because I lost my serve rhythm very quickly. But I can’t explain why. I have to do better. One of my main weapons is dead: I don’t pass a first ball, I can make double faults and I can’t serve from the angles that put me well. I serve a lot on his forehand and instead of having a short ball, I have a ball that arrives very quickly. So I am less good in my tactics. Ultimately, I’m better on his services. In the game, I was fine. I try to pack the game a little, because we have to find a solution. This solution almost came more from the public because the spectators pushed. I just wanted to make life hard for him. I have no success, because I miss the return on the break point at the start of the fourth and if I succeed in this break, there … ”
Do you think you have found the level to challenge this kind of players? “In a few hours I will be 37 years old. I did a tour at the end of which I’m happy because I didn’t hurt myself. That was my obsession. I play a lot, I do a tour, big matches and I leave as I arrived (physically, editor’s note). I feel good, I won some good games. I’m not happy to have lost, but I didn’t play like that two and a half months ago. In the end, I released good matches. We must now maintain this level. I hope to move up the rankings and have this level of play without playing like crazy. I will play the UTS in Frankfurt, the Laver Cup in Vancouver and then I will only play indoors at the end of the year. I will spend time with my family, with my wife and my daughter.”
Where are you going to celebrate your birthday on Friday, with your daughter at home or with your wife in New York where she is still racing? “I gave it my all and I just want to see my daughter. But if my wife wants me to stay to help her mentally, of course I’ll spend a few more days or another week here. So tomorrow I’ll be celebrating my birthday here in New York with my wife and Facetime with my daughter. My wife continues to play well and if she has a card to play, we are a family and we will push until the end. If she needs me, I’ll be there to warm her up for her next game. Priority to Madame, to go and do a nice thing.
