HOW GAËL MONFILS' NEW ATTITUDE STILL HELPS HIM DREAM OF SLAM SUCCESS

Gaël Monfils has made it through to the third-round of the Australian Open for the 12th time in his career, moving past German Daniel Altmaier in straight sets.

To put that in perspective, there’s only one other active player who has achieved this feat, and he happens to have won the title here 10 times.

Monfils also moves to equal third on the list of active players to have reached the round of 32 of Grand Slams. He now has 39 appearances in the third-round, equal with Marin Čilić, while Stan Wawrinka (42), is slightly ahead, and Novak Djokovic is in another stratosphere, with 72 appearances.

Click here to watch live tennis on Stan Sport.

The 38-year-old is winding back the clock in the twilight of his career, seemingly enjoying every moment of it. After his stirring five-set marathon in the first-round over big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, in which he never faced a break point, Monfils was asked by The First Serve if a win like that meant more to him this deep into his career.

"I'm happy. I'm a competitive guy. I love competition, so I'm happy. A win is a win. Frankly, with you, I'm happy with everything now…You know, I'm lucky to be here. My wife is playing. My daughter is waiting for me," the Frenchman said.

"I'm happy with my life. I won this match. I'm crazy happy. I have another chance to come out and play in a packed stadium. Everything is a win now, so no pressure on me."

His answer seems to blend seamlessly with the way he’s playing these days. There’s a carefree attitude that’s always been there, but it’s no longer a flamboyant 'entertain the crowd at all costs' kind of attitude. It appears more like a 'I’m going to give it everything, and if it’s not enough, that’s ok' style, which certainly seems to be working for him.

Monfils burst onto the scene as a No.1 junior and quickly established himself on the ATP Tour. With 13 titles and a career-high ranking of No.6 in the world, there’s not much Monfils hasn’t done in his career.

However, ultimate success at a Slam is the glaring gap on his tennis resume. Monfils has reached the semi-finals twice — Roland Garros in 2008 (losing to Federer), and the US Open in 2016 (losing to Djokovic).

Here in Australia, the quarter-finals have been his stumbling block, falling in 2016 to Milos Raonic and 2022 to Matteo Berrettini.

But where there’s life, there’s hope. Monfils was asked if he still dreamed about Grand Slam success. Smiling, Monfils answered, "I will answer it generally. I think in life, you need to dream. I have many dreams," he said.

Over 20 years, Monfils has seen a lot. He has taken on everyone, and beat almost everyone (now isn’t the time to bring up his head-to-head with Djokovic). He is one of the few players qualified to discuss how the game has changed over a long period of time.

"I feel like the game is a bit faster, of course. I think that the technology has evolved a lot. Now every single player is a professional of a big team," he explained.

"I think physically it's different, so you just evolve, I guess. Then I think in 20 years it's going to be maybe even faster or more physical or different.

"I feel like racquets, strings, balls, everything change. I just try to keep myself [up to date] with this evolution."

In 2022, at age 36, Monfils was forced onto the sidelines with injury for large chunks of the year. His ranking slipped down to No.394. Many thought they’d seen the end of him. He would’ve had every right to hang the racquet up, and walk away proudly.

But Monfils wasn’t ready to stop. Now here he is, on the verge of making it through to the second week of a Slam again.

Monfils will take on World No.4 Taylor Fritz in the fourth-round, a player he has met once before, here, at Melbourne Park in 2019.

On that occasion, Monfils went down in four close sets, and while his record against top-10 players isn’t outstanding (37-97), Monfils will give himself every chance to keep the dream alive.

But should he get outplayed on the day, there will be no regrets.

"As I always say from day one, for me the most important is the health. It's just a part of my life. It's very nice, beautiful. Tennis has given me everything I can even imagine, so I am already blessed. The rest is [a] bonus."

Hume Tennis and Community Centre is Australia’s #1 Tennis Tournament Venue and winner of Tennis Victoria’s Club of the Year 2023, hosting over 60 events each year ranging from Hot Shots to professional tournaments. Hume Tennis has a tournament experience for all levels.  Known as the Tennis Paradise in Melbourne, Hume Tennis boasts 14 outdoor Plexicushion courts, a Café, and a Pro Shop—making it the perfect destination for teams and coaches traveling from interstate, with convenient accommodation available. Visit www.humetennis.com.au to find out more