"He was the reason I fell in love with the game" - Alexander Shevchenko reflects on 'emotional' match against Gael Monfils at Arizona Tennis Classic
Russian tennis player Alexander Shevchenko shared his appreciation for Gael Monfils after his win over the Frenchman at the Arizona Tennis Classic on March 16.
Gael Monfils returned to the ATP Tour after a seven-month long layoff at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Monfils was unable to start his season with a win as he was ousted from the tournament by Jordan Thompson in his opening match.
Following his defeat at Indian Wells, the Frenchman joined Matteo Berrettini, Diego Schwartzman and Alexander Bublik, among others, to compete at the ATP Challenger Arizona Tennis Classic in Phoenix.
The former World No. 6 took on Alexander Shevchenko in his opening match in a closely contested three-set encounter that ended with the Russian pulling off the win 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.
Following the match, Shevchenko expressed on social media that it was highly emotional for him as it was because of Monfils that he developed a passion for the game. He wished the 36-year-old good luck at the Miami Open, scheduled to begin on March 23.
"Such an emotional match for me, because he was the reason I felt in love with the game. @iamgaelmonfils good luck in Miami bro," Shevchenko wrote on Instagram.
Gael Monfils says his injury break came at the perfect time
Speaking in a recent interview, Gael Monfils opened up about finding the positives in his injury-ridden 2022 season. He stated that the timing of his foot injury allowed him to be with his wife and fellow tennis player Elina Svitolina during the end of her pregnancy and that the pair enjoyed the early stages of becoming parents to their daughter Skai together.
“Perfect timing. I say always I try to see the positive in the negative and that was almost the best timing. I could be with my wife at the end of her pregnancy and support her, because it’s never easy the last days and everything. And then of course at the beginning as a parent, taking care of the little one as a team. It was great timing for me and also very important. At the end, that’s what matters," Gael Monfils said.
"That’s life, that’s real life. To be a team there for our baby was great for me. The happiness, it’s crazy. The happiness, the love. I can be a little bit tired or unhappy with what I’m doing because I want to be perfect. But as soon as I see my daughter, everything vanishes. It’s a great feeling," he added.
Gael Monfils will compete at the ATP Masters 1000 Miami Open next. In 2022, the Frenchman was defeated by Francisco Cerundolo in the third round of the tournament.