AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2025

Gael Monfils

Press Conference

B. SHELTON/G. Monfils

7-6, 6-7, 7-6, 1-0 [Ret.]

THE MODERATOR: First of all, Gael, sorry this is not the result you were hoping for, but are you proud of yourself about the fight you put in these two weeks?

GAEL MONFILS: Yeah, as always, I'm always happy. Always some positive. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish the match, but I'm happy with all I gave today, so I'm happy with that.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Gael, I've seen you training before the match, and your movements were already a little bit slow. Have you been a little bit injured or with some issues before the match?

GAEL MONFILS: A little bit. Just a little bit. You know, at the end of the day, it's been a very long tour for me, playing a lot of matches, spending a lot of hours.

Of course, some day are tougher. Today was one where I think I was already very close from the limit, and I think I passed it, unfortunately.

You know, it happens, but I'm still learning, which is good. Learning also take more experience. Of course, today was tougher for me physically.

Q. What about the handshake? It was really nice to see you talking with Ben.

GAEL MONFILS: I love Ben. I love him. You know, this kid is amazing. He's full of energy. He's a great guy, great kid.

Of course, it's always too bad to play someone that you love, but we put the fighting spirit, you know. That's why I still want to make it tough for him, but at the end, of course, now I'm rooting for him. He's a guy that I really appreciate spend time with him, talking with him, sharing anything. We laugh. He's just an amazing kid.

Q. Elina was in the front row. How tough is it to watch someone you love play tennis? How much different is it from playing...

GAEL MONFILS: It's more stressful. It's more stressful because you're not in control, you want to help, and you can just help with talking, but it's different because when you play yourself, you really want to help sometimes, legs or strategy or you can see that someone, myself for her, a bit stress, and you want to help to relax.

It's stressful, but also you try also to not show it too much and give as much as you can.

Q. You said you're always happy. At what point, I guess, in your life did you learn how to approach your career with happiness?

GAEL MONFILS: I think it's just life matters. My parents, they raise me like that. I always say from the back of your mind, I know where I from. I know how my parents raised me, which values. They have been really tough to educate myself like that. That was something that, you know, when you do sport, you need to be happy, because you are lucky to do sport.

Of course, of all, it's my job, and you are lucky to do the job that you love, the sport, blah, blah, blah. Always keep in back of your mind, if you give everything, you need to be happy. This is credit to my parents.

Q. I think it's the first time you've played Ben. I just wondered for you how much difference it makes if you are playing someone who you have played never before or if you have played someone a lot before, and not to bring up, but Novak, someone who you have played many times before, how do you prepare for that kind of match against someone who you haven't beat? Do you just try and change things?

GAEL MONFILS: The thing is we practice with most of the players, so you have a feeling. It's not like I don't know Ben. So I've been playing with him. Matches is always different, but you just have to feel, let's say in matches you have feel that where he try to impose you in the nervous moment, where we'll go, and of course, you had it to your book. You just take note, add it to the book.

Okay, that's a bit different to then in practice. Hmm, I see you done that, Ben. No matter what, we play long time. So my book will be at a new page with Ben Shelton.

Q. What about if you're playing someone who has beat you a lot before?

GAEL MONFILS: The book is full. You erase, and you put, you add stuff. Of course with Novak, which is completely different, I still adding, adding. Okay, this, I was close. That...

But, yeah, to be honest, it's the only one that I didn't find yet the solution. I always say, you know, like this is good, it's good question, you know when I play Novak, I want to beat him, and I strong belief that I can beat him. I'm not just saying this. I really strong belief that I can beat him. I feel like if I'm solid, if I'm really respecting the game plan, I can beat him.

But somehow his game, you know, not really suit me at that moment maybe. I have to change. You know, a tennis match is you ask the question, and he asking too many questions for myself, which is amazing because always I played him, I was very close sometime. But I felt like I never had, like, a known match of Novak Djokovic. I feel like my game suit him great. I feel like I serving good, but he's still there returning.

I have less percentage against him. Not because I'm serving bad. Because he's reading good. I have less winners, maybe more mistake or anything. It's because somehow he's reading good my game.

As I'm with other players, but with him, but no, I can tell you, and he knows, Novak, because I want to beat him. I want to beat him. I will try my best, but at the end of the day, he's special. I always say to people, because I think I lost 20 times, I always say to people, I never been favorite with Novak, to be honest. He always been quite high. I still have the eager to beat him.

Q. (Off microphone)

GAEL MONFILS: Yeah.

Q. What's tougher for you now? To play best-of-three-set matches every day or best-of-five-set matches every other day?

GAEL MONFILS: What is tough for me is to win match. When you win, win, win, win, oh, to lose is not easy. I had a great week in Auckland. Then when you start -- you know, we've been a little bit talking. I won Auckland, and you saw it. I was running to take the flight. The next morning I was in practice already. Then practice again. Play four hours' match almost against Giovanni.

Start to feel a little bit the body shaky. And then boom, every day, every day. That's tough. That's a good momentum, good feeling, but I need to adapt myself. I need to work different. I need to understand now I can play differently, so I need to change some adjustment for five-setter.

Of course, three sets every day (smiling).