The balance sheet is not getting better for Gaël Monfils, who has won only one match since his return to the courts last March after 7 months in the infirmary. The Frenchman was beaten in the first round of the Lyon tournament on Tuesday by Pedro Cachin in three sets (6-2, 3-6, 4-6).
Monfils, 36, is still looking for his rhythm in 2023, he who has just ceased his collaboration with his coach, Günter Bresnik. The Frenchman is in 386th place in the ATP ranking. Touched on the foot in August 2022, he returned to victory last March, against his compatriot Evan Furness (213th player in the world) at the challenger of Ostrava). The latter had given up while Monfils led 6-3, 2-0.
The Parisian is nevertheless expected at Roland-Garros with his protected ranking (N.35). “I’m frustrated, of course. We must always do better than the opponent. I missed a bit of everything. There are bad tactical choices, bad areas. I have to do better, be more solid in the last two games,” he said.
“You have to find the patience I had and it was when I felt good physically, when I was able to go on point after point, to be able to recover well between points, to feel like I could make the pitch a little more small for the opponent. I want to do well, to find a good level of play. Win or lose, but to play well, “continued Monfils.
“I bumped into it, really, but you have to do it every week. On matches a bit like this, you win and the confidence starts up again. And if I am told that it is “not too disgusting”, I take”, he concluded.
