Gael Monfils, who lost his opening match at the Olympics in his native Paris, is now through to the second round of the Cincinnati Open. With his colourful style still a key component of his game, seasoned player Monfils is still having fun on the ATP circuit.
In the upcoming second-round match, Monfils will take on Alcaraz, the winner of the previous year’s championship, a player he already regards as a tennis legend. Just before to their encounter, which will be Alcaraz’s first on hard courts since their trip to Miami in March, Monfils has been all praise for the 21-year-old talent.
Among the most entertaining players on the ATP Tour are Monfils and Alcaraz, who never fail to provide fans with an enjoyable experience. The Frenchman holds the highest regard for the Wimbledon and Roland Garros champion of this year.
Monfils expressed his remarks about Alcaraz and said: “He’s a complete athlete, in terms of speed, endurance, power. And then his tennis, of course, is quite complete, too. Backhand, forehand, it’s quite hard to see where you can (hit). He improved a lot on the return, he’s serving big. He’s just a really complete player. At the moment, I see him (the same) as Novak, as Rafa, as Roger, for me. He’s just a bit younger, but he’s already a legend.”
He further said: “For me, it’s always cool to play such a big star like Carlos or Jannik—or of course, in my day it was Novak, Rafa, Roger. But to play those youngsters, it’s always a pleasure. Tomorrow, it’s gonna be great fun for me. Obviously, really tough, but it’s gonna be something that I will remember for a couple of years.”
In their two prior encounters, Monfils has fallen short against the Spaniard, but since this is Alcaraz’s first match in several months, the Frenchman may need to hope he’s feeling rusty.
Gael Monfils says he sees Carlos Alcaraz the same as Federer, Nadal, & Djokovic, ‘He’s just a bit younger, but he’s already a legend’
“He’s a complete athlete, in terms of speed, endurance, power. And then his tennis, of course, is quite complete, too. Backhand, forehand, it’s… pic.twitter.com/kIGwGL5dQ9
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 15, 2024
Carlos Alcaraz in 2024
WLWLLWLWWW Ranked world no.3, the Spaniard played his last match on the 4th of August when he capitulated to world no.2 Novak Djokovic 7-6(3) 7-6(2) in the final in Paris (draw).
Currently, during this season the Spaniard owns a composed 38-7 win-loss record. Carlos clinched 3 titles in 2024 in Indian Wells, French Open and Wimbledon. Carlos was the finalist in Paris.
Carlos Alcaraz will square off with the world no.328 Gabi Adrian Boitan in the . In the past, they have never played each other till now in top competitions.
Carlos clinched 3 titles in 2024 in Indian Wells, French Open and Wimbledon. The Spaniard got to the final in Paris (Olympics).
Alcaraz won 16 titles in his career: 4 on hard courts, 8 on clay courts, 1 on indoor courts and 3 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Monfils in Cincinnati, ranking, and results in 2024
WLWWWLLWLW Currently ranked no.46, Monfils owns a compiled 19-17 match record in 2024. The French player is now competing in Cincinnati where he overcame the world no.23 Alexei Popyrin 7-5 6-3.
Gael won 12 titles in his career: 3 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts and 8 on indoor courts. (See the list of his titles)
He is also scheduled to play at the U.S. Open (U.S. Open). The main draw will start on the 26th of August.
Carlos Alcaraz and Gael Monfils faced off just on 2 occasions. The head to head is 2-0 for Alcaraz. Previously, the last time they played each other, Carlos Alcaraz won 6-2 6-4 in the 3rd round in Miami (Miami Open) on the 25th of March 2024.
You can see them in action in the following highlights.
