"There's a lot behind these emotions" - Gael Monfils' exultation over French Open 1R win earns tennis journalists' plaudits
Gael Monfils won an enthralling first-round match at the 2023 French Open and was visibly emotional after winning a Grand Slam fixture amid health struggles. Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim highlighted the condition under which Monfils won his match.
Monfils was struggling to find form ahead of the 2023 French Open. The Frenchman had lost eight of his last nine matches on the tour before playing in Paris and was not expected to beat an in-form Sebastian Baez. In a match that lasted nearly four hours, Monfils rallied back from 0-4, 30/40 down in the fifth set to triumph 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5.
He was cramping by the end of the high-intensity match and went to the floor in tears after winning. Tennis commentator and analyst Jon Wertheim later took to social media to highlight the condition in which Monfils won his match.
Wertheim noted that Monfils, who recently became a father after the birth of his daughter Skai in October 2022, is one of the oldest players remaining in the men's main draw at the age of 36. His wife, Elina Svitolina, is also playing at the French Open for her war-torn country, Ukraine, and has made it into the second round, just like Monfils.
Moreover, Gael Monfils is playing at his home Major and hopes to maintain his form and at least be in contention for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"You’re a new father + the oldest remaining player in the draw. Your wife is in R2. She is playing for her country, which was brutally invaded. Youre at your home major, trying to hang in there until the 2024 Olympics… There’s a lot behind these emotions…." Wertheim tweeted.
You’re a new father + the oldest remaining player in the draw. Your wife is in R2. She is playing for her country, which was brutally invaded. Youre at your home major, trying to hang in there until the 2024 Olympics… There’s a lot behind these emotions…. twitter.com/tennischannel/…
In the on-court interview, Monfils said that this win over Baez was amongst his top two matches at Roland Garros. The other match was his third-round win against Pablo Cuevas in 2015.
"It's definitely in like [my] top two [matches]. I had the same one almost kind of some years ago against [Pablo] Cuevas on [Court Suzanne] Lenglen," Monfils said.
Elina Svitolina celebrates Gael Monfils' win at French Open
Elina Svitolina took to social media to celebrate her husband's win at the 2023 French Open. In an Instagram Story, the Ukrainian tennis star expressed her happiness after Monfils' unexpected victory.
"So proud of you @iamgaelmonfils," she wrote.
Svitolina herself is competing at this year's French Open, her first Grand Slam since the 2022 Australian Open. She is also through to the second round after comfortably beating last year's semifinalist, Martina Trevisan, 6-2, 6-2, in her first-round match.
Svitolina's second-round opponent is a qualifier from Australia, Storm Sanders. Meanwhile, Gael Monfils will next face No. 6 seed Holger Rune in what is expected to be another highly entertaining encounter.