After an absence of over 7 months, Gael Monfils comes back on the court to train. Gael hadn’t played an official match since August 2022, when he raised the white flag in the match against Jack Draper in Montreal. The Frenchman, engaged in a training match against Hubert Hurkacz, does not seem to have lost his usual playful streak.
The almost 37-year-old Parisian in fact gave a show and delighted the audience with repertoire hits, especially a service hit behind his back. The crowd, amused, followed the performance between the two, who did not spare themselves, completing some splendid exchanges.
Monfils at the end of a winning exchange then slumped to the ground, tired after a long period of inactivity. Hurkacz then walked over and gave him a high five. The Frenchman will find a tough opponent in the first round, Jordan Thompson.
Tsitsipas will be waiting for the winner between the two. Monfils will lose at least 630 points and will see his tally stabilize at around 250 lengths. The Frenchman will therefore drop out of the top 200 for the first time after 17 years.
Monfils’ goal is to take advantage of the protected ranking after the first part of the season. He said: “2023 will be a very important year for me, a year of transition, between the injury and being competitive to try and qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
It would be my last Olympics and I wouldn’t want to miss them, and then maybe the following year it would be my last season. I’ve said I’d like to play until I’m 40 but, really, the more time I spend with my daughter, the more I think she’ll stop a little sooner.”
The vibes are *immaculate*
La Monf & Hubi having the best time in tennis paradise ð@Gael_Monfils @HubertHurkacz #BNPPO23 pic.twitter.com/eg5ecJpsow — Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 7, 2023
Indian Wells and Miami
It’s time for Sunshine Double.
The Indian Wells draws have been drawn, which will be followed by the Miami tournament in the coming weeks. Leading the seeding of the Californian 1000 Carlos Alcaraz, returning after a stormy start to the season, which saw him forfeit the most important event so far of this start of the season.
To contend for the title, despite the absence of Novak Djokovic, he will have a strong competition. From Stefanos Tsitsipas, to the most fit tennis player of the moment, Daniil Medvedev capable of lining up the tournaments in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai.
The Russian tennis player, never champion in the two North American tournaments, still wants to amaze. the Italian tennis players Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner, having disposed of their respective physical ailments are ready to become competitive again.
