Gael Monfils has expressed his displeasure with unnecessary and ongoing controversies. After a confrontation with Felix Auger-Aliassime during the 2023 Laver Cup, he recently came under fire for his lack of concern.
On the opening day of the Laver Cup in Vancouver, Monfils and Auger-Aliassime, who were playing for Team Europe and Team World, respectively, faced off. When Auger-Aliassime began complaining to the chair umpire about the Frenchman’s behavior, things between the two took a bad turn. Auger-Aliassime was furious with the leniency because Monfils attempted to rest between serves in the first set but was not penalized.
Monfils said after the dispute over time violation with the Canadian: “Honestly, I don’t have the practice to play. They call me and they tell me how the Laver Cup will be so nice; we can be free. And then I feel like, this sucks?. I am here to have fun.”
Fans criticized the 37-year-old for his careless attitude. He responded to each of his criticisms with a social media post. He wrote in his post: “I am tired of these incessant and futile controversies. Some people seem to get excited over trifles. I am annoyed by those who make hasty judgments. Some might think that because I smile and have fun, I’m not serious. Sure, my vision may be different, but I always strive to follow the guidelines given to me.”
According to Gael Monfils, staying away from family for the Laver Cup responsibilities is not a simple task. He further added: “At 37, I just try to make the most of every moment. When I was asked to participate in the Laver Cup, I was honored. With my current ranking, outside the top 100 at this age, I even thought it was a joke. But I take this opportunity very seriously. Traveling to Vancouver and leaving my family again is not the easiest thing.”
Gael Monfils in 2023
Now the world no.142, the French player played his last match on the 22nd of September when he was overcome by world no.14 Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4 6-3 in the round robin in the Laver Cup (draw).
Currently, during this season Gael has an overall 10-13 match record.