Gael Monfils might just be the most gifted, most athletic player on the ATP World Tour; a devil-may-care daredevil whose on-court acrobatics (think aerial splits, YouTube-worthy ‘tweeners, gravity-defying overheads, etc.) often leave tennis fans and even his most skilled opponents drop-jawed.
“You're not going to try to make the highlight reel more than him,” Milos Raonic asserted.
Said world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, “You never know what's coming up next.”
But to borrow some Shakespearean parlance, there's the rub. Is it possible to be entertainer/showman/funambulist – an amalgamation Monfils has clearly relished over the years – and also achieve record-book relevance on the Grand Slam stage? He has accomplished much: six career titles, more than 300 wins, in excess of $11 million in prize money, even a stint inside the Top 10. The endorsement dollars are aplenty. But the ever-popular Frenchman is perhaps better known for his tongue-in-cheek trickery than for his trophy shelf. For instance, during his third-round win over Marcos Baghdatis at this year’s US Open, Monfils bent down to tie his shoe. Hardly a noteworthy tidbit had it not come in the middle of a point.
“I always say that is very natural,” explained Monfils, who collided with an on-court clock during his first-round win over Gilles Muller, the only damage some minor digital destruction. “Just instinct. I do what I feel like doing at that time. When I jump or when I dive or whatever, for me it's natural.”
When he turned pro in 2004, we figured the Parisian-born all-courter would soon be cleaning up at the majors. And why not? Not since Swede Stefan Edberg swept all four junior Grand Slam titles in 1983 had a pro debut been so highly anticipated. (Monfils won three of four.) Nike even inked the then-18-year-old to a $2 million endorsement deal. But while old junior counterparts like Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray have broken through at the majors, at 30, Monfils remains beloved and decorated, but still Slam-less.
However, despite the occasional slight of hand, there’s been a notably different air about Monfils this year in New York, where he has now reached the quarters three times in the past seven years. He insists the mindset hasn’t changed, but he sure looks motivated. Maybe it’s the 14-3 run he carried into the US Open, which, in addition to winning the title in Washington this summer, included a semifinal showing at the Toronto Masters and the quarters at the Rio Olympics.
Regardless, there seems to be a sense of urgency. He has yet to drop a set through four rounds, a feat matched only to this point by Juan Martin del Potro.
“He's in very good form,” said his quarterfinal opponent, fellow Frenchman Lucas Pouille. “He has won so many matches over the last two months. He's very confident. He hasn't lost a set, so I know it's going to be hard.”
Credit Pouille with breaking the draw wide open with a five-set shock of No. 4 seed Rafael Nadal. Monfils must be licking his chops about now. Should he get past his 22-year-old compatriot, he would match his career-best showing at the Slams, a 2008 run to the French Open semifinals. Awaiting Monfils would be either fellow Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or world No. 1 Djokovic.
For Mr. Monfils, il n'y a d'autre instant que le présent. There’s no time like the present.
