Gael Monfils says choosing between facing Jannik Sinner & Matteo Berrettini "is a bit like asking if you prefer to play Rafa or Roger"
Gael Monfils recently lavished praise on Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini, saying choosing to face one of them is akin to picking between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Monfils believes Italy has "struck gold" with Sinner and Berrettini and backed the duo to dominate men's tennis in the years to come.
Gael Monfils is currently participating in the Sofia Open, where he will face Marcos Giron in the semifinals later on Saturday. Jannik Sinner is also into the last four in Sofia, where he will take on Filip Krajinovic. Matteo Berrettini, meanwhile, was last seen in action at the Laver Cup.
Speaking to the media ahead of his clash against Giron, Monfils was asked for his thoughts on Sinner, who defeated James Duckworth in the last eight. The Frenchman lauded Sinner for hitting remarkable heights at such a young age and asserted that the Italian plays better than his ranking (14) suggests.
"Jannik is 20 years old," Monfils said . "He has had tremendous results for his age. He played a Masters 1000 final in Miami, he won the ATP 500 Washington. He is out of the top ten by very little, but he plays in an incredible way."
Monfils also reserved praise for Berrettini, remarking how fortunate Italy is to have unearthed such supremely talented youngsters.
"I think he (Jannik Sinner) and Berrettini are two completely different tennis players," Monfils added. "I don't know what to tell you, but believe me when I tell you that Italy has struck gold with these two guys."
The Frenchman was then asked on which surface he would like to face Sinner and Berrettini. Monfils remarked that both players excel on different surfaces, making it a challenge to pick one.
The 35-year-old likened it to choosing between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, which he reckons is difficult to answer.
“Maybe we will prefer to face Jannik on hard and Matteo on clay, or better to play against Sinner on grass because he is less strong than Matteo on this surface but honestly it is very difficult to answer because it is a bit like asking if you prefer to play Rafa or Roger… it depends where, when, how," Monfils added.
"I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini play in a Grand Slam final against each other" - Gael Monfils
During the conversation, Gael Monfils continued to shower praise on Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini. The Frenchman reckons both Sinner and Berrettini will continue to elevate their game in the years to come.
Monfils believes that the chances of Sinner and Berrettini facing each other in a Grand Slam final are high, given their rapid growth.
"Sinner plays very well, is very fast and hits the ball well. He does everything right," Monfils added. "I don't know which of the two is better, but I'm sure both are going to be even stronger in the not too distant future. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw them both play one day a Grand Slam final against each other. Matteo has already played one and Sinner has the potential."