During Roland Garros in 1998, a nearly five-minute-long profile aired on French television featuring a boy with glasses, braces and big dreams. In the intro to the piece, the host referred to the boy as a “future Yannick Noah”.

That boy was Gael Monfils.

“C’est un rêve d’être dans les dix premiers mondiaux,” Monfils said, flashing the big smile that millions have come to know over the years.

“It’s a dream to be in the Top 10 of the world.”

The Frenchman has done that and plenty more. Having reached a career-high No. 6 in the ATP Rankings, won more than 500 tour-level matches and earned more than $20 million in prize money, it is safe to say Monfils has accomplished his dreams. Twenty-four years later, he still points to that interview.

“It was a big dream,” Monfils told ATPTour.com. “I still live my dreams 100 per cent. I’m living in my dream. I am blessed, I am lucky. People don’t see how much work I put into this, how many sacrifices I’ve made and how many sacrifices my parents made for me.”

Since he was a junior, Monfils has been considered one of the most gifted players in tennis. He is as athletic as anyone on Tour and when at his best, the Frenchman’s ball-striking is jaw-dropping. Richard Warmoes, the former Monfils coach who was featured in the 1998 profile, saw plenty in his player’s physical and mental potential as well as his ability to defend and accelerate through the ball.

“I felt he was capable of achieving great things and one day winning a Grand Slam such as Roland Garros,” Warmoes said.

But Monfils has faced stiff competition in the nearly two decades he has spent on Tour. The Paris native owns an 8-45 record against the ‘Big Four’ of Novak Djokovic (0-17), Roger Federer (4-10), Rafael Nadal (2-14) and Andy Murray (2-4).

The Frenchman has understood what he was up against since he was a boy. Warmoes, who worked with Monfils from age six to 13, vividly recalls travelling with his charge to Les Petits As, an international junior tournament that has seen some of the world’s best players make their mark.

“Gael said to me when he saw a young player come out of the [court] — it was Rafael Nadal — ‘You see Richard, everyone only talks about Richard Gasquet, but Rafael will be much stronger than Richard and he scares me because I don’t see how to beat him,’” Warmoes recalled. “The next day we trained on half the [court] next to Jamie and Andy Murray. Gael then said to me, ‘You see Richard, everyone is talking about Jamie, but his little brother Andy will be much stronger and will become a very great player’.

“Everything was said. In two days Gael had just told me about two players who for him were going to be very very strong, and who wrote the history of tennis by being part of the famous ‘Big Four’.”

Unfortunately for Monfils, he has often experienced that firsthand. On Tuesday at the Mutua Madrid Open, he will get an 18th crack at earning his first win against Djokovic. But like he was as a young boy, Monfils remains self-aware.

“The guy is better than me, that is it,” Monfils said of Djokovic on Monday. “Every match is an opportunity to win, I try to take some lessons. He can beat me tomorrow and maybe at Rome and then Roland Garros and then, maybe, I can beat him once.”

Monfils will try his best and accept the result. The 35-year-old works hard, competes and enjoys the process.

“For me, having fun and enjoying what I’m doing is key. I’m very blessed to do a sport as my job. I maybe get my pleasure in a different way than others and most people. [But] I always say, different is not forbidden,” Monfils said. “I have my fun, I like it. For me, it’s a lucky time. It’s quite unbelievable what we’re doing. I try just to enjoy as much as I can. I know this is not forever.

“Honestly I just be me and compete. At the same time if I can have my fun, why not?”

When you watch a match featuring Monfils, you will probably see something that you will not in almost any other match. That could be a leaping overhead smash, a tweener or some sort of mid-air acrobatics that nobody else on Tour is capable.

“Why I’m doing some different shots, it’s because I feel like I can do it. Actually at the beginning it was for my own satisfaction,” Monfils said. “When [NBA star] LeBron [James] gets an open layup, would you do a layup or would you dunk it? Most people, they sometimes acknowledge my athleticism and when I do something they’re like, ‘Oh, it’s a show.’ For me, I can do it and I want to do it. It’s the same.

“When [basketball players] do an alley-oop, it’s because they can do it. If I can jump, if I can do some stuff, I will do it.”

To Monfils, that is not messing around. In fact, he says it takes far more concentration to hit a trickshot. He only goes for them because he knows he can make them and by doing so, win the point. Is there more risk? Of course. But the Frenchman loves making one of those shots and seeing the raw emotion on faces in the crowd. He feels a great connection with fans.

“The public feels his sensitivity,” Warmoes said. “And Gaël likes to share his emotions.”

It is important to remember that Monfils is not just a showman, but one of the best players of his generation. Only one other Frenchman, Richard Gasquet, has earned more tour-level wins since records have been kept. Monfils has spent less than four months outside the world’s Top 100 since first breaking into the elite group 17 years ago as an 18-year-old.

“They see you and think that, ‘You’re not doing this, you’re not doing that.’ But actually, you’re doing much better than those people say,” Monfils said. “The best of our sport, when we’re Top 100, to be ranked No. 100… there are only 99 people in front of you in the world. People sometimes forget how many people play tennis. We are blessed to have a big sport. Everybody is playing tennis, everybody is wishing to be there.

“When you see No. 99 in the world, pay big respect to this guy. Even Top 20 [players], sometimes they’re talking [about them]. We’re doing what we do and [it is] always [about] the ‘If’… I always say, if I could win 20 Slams, no worries, I would have won 20 Slams.”

None of this means that Monfils is not trying his best every day in pursuit of tennis’ pinnacle. “I’m working quite hard. I never hide. It’s [happened] less and less, but people used to say [what] I could have done. I’d say, ‘Please, come with me on the court.’ I’m quite open,” Monfils said.

What the 11-time ATP Tour titlist feels people miss is that no matter how hard he works, it does not guarantee he will win every match. But whether it is Tuesday against Djokovic in Madrid or any opponent in the coming weeks and months, that does not mean he will not try. What is certain, though, is that the Frenchman will not take any of this experience for granted. This is his dream turned reality.

“I’m blessed and I’m happy. My dream was always to be on the top of my game. I made it. I think I’m still making it and if with my new dreams, maybe before the end of my career, why not put my name on the top of the top, to have a Slam?” Monfils said. “I’m going to play for that and that’s it.

“But the big picture is that my dream was to be here today.”

Sebastian Baez has been steadily rising up the ATP Rankings over the past year, and on Sunday he reached a new career milestone by winning his first ATP Tour title at the Millennium Estoril Open.

The 21-year-old Argentine first broke into the Top 100 last November, when he also competed in the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, and he is now a member of the top 40 following his victory over Frances Tiafoe in the Estoril final. A six-time champion on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2021, Baez made his tour-level breakthrough in his second final. He also reached the title match in Santiago in February.

ATPTour.com sat down with the Buenos Aires native after his run in Estoril to find out more about his life on Tour, on and off the court.

What does it mean to win your first ATP Tour title? It’s been an amazing year. After all the success on the ATP Challenger Tour last year, you reached your first ATP Tour final this year, and gradually progressed to your first trophy.
It’s been a good year. The last year was so nice, too, for the Challengers, for the finals, for the Next Gen [Finals]. A lot of things… the main draw this year in Australia. Every time I try to be better, to go step by step. I hope this is the start of something nice.

At this time last year, you were outside the top 200. Now you are closing in on the top 40 as an ATP Tour titlist. How happy are you with your progress over the past 12 months to reach this point?
I’m so happy, so proud of myself. I’m also proud of my team and my coach because we worked a lot last year and since we met for the very first time. We had a different connection, the most special I’ve ever had. It means a lot to me. This trophy is a nice compensation for all the job and a great motivation to go for more.

You have had a good start to the season after competing at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in November. How important was that event for your development?
That tournament was very important to me because I began to play at a high level with players like Alcaraz and the best teenage tennis players in the world. That meant another compensation after a tough year. I worked a lot to be there. I played Challengers, the matches were very difficult. The rankings were frozen and breaking into the Top 100 was very hard. So Milan was a good start and something different for me.

You have a strong relationship with your coach Sebastian Gutierrez. Can you talk a little bit about your journey and development with him, having joined forces at the Argentine Tennis Association’s Department of Development?
We started working in 2015 in an ITF Futures in Brazil. It was the first time we met, and from then until now, it’s been a great relationship, a great connection, something different on Tour. I think in tennis it’s difficult to find a good person and a great professional as a coach. So I am very proud to have hired him and to have him in my life. I hope to have more time with him and, why not, finish my career with him.

Could you take a moment to acknowledge some of the key figures in your life and career who have helped you to reach this milestone?
My family, my team, my friends, many people… it’s for all of them. It is impossible to be a great player without every person who has helped you along the way. You have to be supported by your family, your team, your people. I am proud to have the best people by my side.

How would you describe yourself off the court? Does your on-court ‘calm’ extend off the tennis court as well? 
It’s impossible to be a good player if you are not a good person. I understand it that way because my coach believes it, and I have learned it from him. That is the path I decided to take.

What do you consider to be your biggest passion outside of tennis? Can you tell us a little bit about that interest?
It’s hard to say because I like music, watching movies, playing video games… but I love playing tennis, travelling the world, and spending time with my people. It’s hard to decide just one thing. But the best thing for me is to try to enjoy the small details.

This is a milestone moment in your career. How will you celebrate this victory?
We are thinking. I must think about it with my team, but I hope we celebrate tonight. This is the plan.

Tuesday’s play at the Mutua Madrid Open includes the conclusion of the opening round and the start of the second round in the men’s singles draw. Top seed Novak Djokovic faces Gael Monfils in one of the highlights on Manolo Santana Stadium, with Carlos Alcaraz closing play on centre court against Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Sixth seed Andrey Rublev takes on British wild card Jack Draper earlier in the day in the third men’s match on the show court, while Andy Murray and Denis Shapovalov headline the men’s action on Aranxta Sanchez Stadium.

View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

[1] Novak Djokovic (SER) vs. Gael Monfils (FRA)

Monfils has never beaten Djokovic in 17 previous ATP Head2Head meetings. But with Djokovic admittedly not at top form, this could be the Frenchman’s best chance to get his first victory against the Serb.

“I’m still finding the form. I’m not playing at the desired level,” Djokovic said ahead of the Madrid ATP Masters 1000 event. “But I am getting there. It’s a process and I have to be patient and believe that I am on the right track, which I feel I am.”

Monfils is also seeking a return to form. After reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals at the start of the season, he has played only three events since. He withdrew from Monte Carlo with a foot injury, and won his first clay match of the season on Monday against Spanish qualifier Carlos Gimeno Valero.

“I am getting my rhythm back as well and it is funny because he is too, but has more matches on clay than me,” Monfils said. “I will try and make good decisions on the court, to try and beat him.”

[7] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO)

Barcelona champion Alcaraz begins his quest for a home-nation double as he returns to the Spanish clay for the second straight event. Now at a career-high of World No. 9, the 18-year-old will seek a repeat performance from his 2021 Roland Garros meeting with Nikoloz Basilashvili, when he advanced in straight sets.

Basilashvili, who entered Madrid at No. 27 in the ATP Rankings, reached the Doha final in February but has not been able to string together consecutive tour-level victories since. After a busy April in which he competed in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Munich, the Georgian is competing for the fourth straight week on the ATP Tour.

Alcaraz earned his first career ATP Masters 1000 win in Madrid last season and recalls coming to the event as a child before competing in an under-12 event at the tournament site.

“It would be a special trophy here. It’s a special tournament, home crowd,” said Alcaraz, a native of Murcia. “We travel around the world during the whole year and playing in Madrid, playing at home is really amazing. The fans here in Spain enjoying watching us play is really important for us.”

[14] Denis Shapovalov vs. [WC] Andy Murray

Shapovalov scored a gutsy win over Ugo Humbert in his first clay match of the 2022 season, saving nine break points in the second set to advance on Monday, including four as he served out the match. The 23-year-old won his only previous ATP Head2Head meeting against Murray in straight sets one year ago in the Wimbledon third round.

Murray was not planning to play on the clay this season, but accepted a Madrid wild card after the hard-court ATP Challenger Tour events on his calendar were cancelled. On Monday, he earned his first clay win since 2017 by beating Dominic Thiem, 6-3, 6-4.

“I enjoyed it. I prepared really hard before coming here,” said Murray. “My body felt really good in the last few weeks and tonight I felt like I moved well and I played a really good match.”

Murray, who is now 8-1 in opening-round matches on the season, will seek to get beyond the second round for the first time since his run to the Sydney final in January.

Best Of The Rest

Rublev and Draper will meet for the first time when they open play on Manolo Santana Stadium. Rublev enters fresh off beating hometown hero Djokovic for the Belgrade title, while Draper earned his way into the second round with an assured win over Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego in his first tour-level event since Miami.

The action on Arantxa Sanchez Stadium includes three Spaniards: Albert Ramos-Vinolas opens play against Marin Cilic before 17th seed Roberto Bautista Agut takes on Jenson Brooksby and 16th seed Pablo Carreno Busta faces Munich finalist Botic van de Zandschulp.

Three intriguing doubles matches are set for Court 5, starting with eighth seeds Jamie Murray and Michael Venus taking on brothers Stefanos Tsitsipas and Petros Tsitsipas. Cameron Norrie and Tommy Paul will face Marcelo Melo and Alexander Zverev before Miami champions Hubert Hurkacz and John Isner take on Karen Khachanov and Rublev for a quarter-final spot.

Following their recent injury issues, former World No. 1 Andy Murray and 17-time tour-level titlist Dominic Thiem met for the first time in three years Monday at the Mutua Madrid Open.

The Scot overcame the Austrian 6-3, 6-4 to earn his maiden clay-court win since 2017 and improve to 3-2 in their ATP Head2Head series. Afterward, the pair shared a warm embrace at the net, with Murray ushering words of encouragement to Thiem, who was competing in just his third tour-level event since last June following a wrist injury.

“It was very nice, his words at the net, and it is worth even more from someone like him who really went through that recovery process,” Thiem said. “He is one of the few who knows how tough it is to come back after a major injury and obviously he is a role model with how he came back with his hip injury.”

Murray underwent hip surgery in 2019 and while he still wants to improve, he has climbed back into the Top 100, reached a tour-level final in Sydney and earned standout wins over Carlos Alcaraz, Hubert Hurkacz and Jannik Sinner since returning.

The 34-year-old shared his sympathy for Thiem after the match, but feels there are positives to take for the former World No. 3 moving forwards.

“It’s not easy coming back from such a long time [away]. I hope that it’s just sort of a mental thing that he will get through with more matches and that it’s not still something that is causing him pain or discomfort,” Murray said when asked about Thiem’s wrist injury.

“At times he hit it well, but there were certainly specific shots that usually he would make. He is still serving well, has a fantastic kick serve and was hitting his backhand very well. He’s an excellent mover.”

Murray will face Denis Shapovalov in the second round, with the Canadian currently working alongside Murray’s former coach Jamie Delgado. The 46-time tour-level titlist added that he is feeling physically strong ahead of their upcoming meeting.

“I do feel like I have started to play some better tennis, and I’m definitely moving better and moved very well tonight,” Murray said. “That’s a really important part of my game. It allows me to concentrate on the strategy a little bit more when I’m out there. I was just really happy all around with how I competed, how I played, how I moved, how my body felt.”

It was exactly eight years ago that Nick Kyrgios battled Jack Sock for the title at the Savannah Challenger. A pair of future Top 20 stars grabbed the spotlight on the green clay of the Franklin Creek Tennis Center, dueling for nearly two hours under the searing Savannah sun. In the end, it was Kyrgios who prevailed in three tight sets, denying Sock his first Challenger clay-court crown.

Eight years later, the American would have his shot at redemption. He did not disappoint. Sock continued his quest to return to the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings, blasting to the Savannah title on Sunday afternoon. After rising to a career-high No. 8 in 2017, the man with the ferocious forehand and lightning-fast hands is on the road back.

Back-to-back straight-set victories over countrymen Bjorn Fratangelo and Christian Harrison saw Sock find his way to the winners’ circle in Savannah. He defeated Harrison 6-4, 6-1 in Sunday’s championship, earning his first title of the year and fourth overall at the Challenger level. Moreover, it was his first crown on clay since prevailing at the ATP Tour event in Houston in 2015.

At the age of 29, Sock is on the rise after years of fighting to rediscover his elite form. It was nearly one year ago that he triumphed in Little Rock, en route to a return to the Top 200 in the ATP Rankings, and he is now on the cusp of the Top 100, soaring to No. 123 with his latest title.

Photo: Jacob Stuckey/Savannah Challenger

Sock spoke with broadcaster Mike Cation after prevailing in Savannah…

The 2014 final was such a battle against Nick Kyrgios. You were up big and he came back and won. A lot has changed since then for you, but tell me what this win means to you.
When you’re younger you take a lot of stuff for granted. Not necessarily in a negative way, but when you’re starting on the Challenger Tour, things just happen so fast. You don’t have the time to sit back and reflect. You’re bouncing from one tournament to the next. Now, things are a lot different for me. I have a wife, my family, Robby [Ginepri] and my team are around me. I’m able to calm down and soak in a lot of moments on court, compared to where I was even two years ago when I wasn’t sure I would keep playing.

Everyone here is good at tennis and you have to get through a whole draw, which is never easy. I don’t care if you’re playing singles or doubles, to get through a tournament always feels great. Of course, my goal at this point in my career is to not be playing Challengers, but this is a great step. You’re playing these to win them and advance to the next stage [on the ATP Tour]. It’s a positive step in the right direction and I take it day-by-day and keep going.

How did these courts make your forehand even more of a weapon this week? It really seemed to give you an advantage here.
With the green clay you can get a few more funky bounces than the red stuff in Europe, which can actually work to my advantage with a little more spin. That’s why I love clay, as it suits my game so much. I move very well on it. My forehand does really well on it too and the kick serve is very useful here. I used that a ton this week. It helps me a good amount.

You mentioned in the trophy ceremony that you’re now working with Robby Ginepri. What does he bring to your game?
It’s not rocket science necessarily. Especially at this point in my career. I’m almost 30 years old. Everyone here knows how to play tennis. But there are still little intricacies and things to work on, either pre-tournament or during the tournament. To his eyes, he might see something a little different. Obviously, Alex [Bogomolov, Jr.] brought me back from nothing and helped me get my ranking back up. With Robby, he’s known me for so long and we had a good start together from week one. He’s got a good eye for my game, has seen me play for a long time and has a vision for how I can win matches. I think that will be a big help as well.

It’s not easy to keep your focus at this level, especially when you’ve accomplished as much as you have. How have you been able to do that, and looking forward, how can you continue doing that in the months ahead?
It’s all about keeping the right perspective, honestly. These tournaments are super exciting when you’re young and just turned pro. Playing in Challengers feels awesome and you’re out here trying to work your way to the ATP Tour. And then you get there and you’re doing well for a bunch of years, as I was, but to come back to Challengers is a bit different.

I know what it takes and I know what it looks like to get back there. For me, I honestly don’t care if it’s a Challenger, a Masters 1000 or a Slam, I feel like if I can get through the first round or two, my level always rises. It always has.

Andy Murray owned the top spot in the ATP Rankings when he last took the court at the Mutua Madrid Open in 2017. His performance in a Monday victory over Dominic Thiem showed that his current level remains far closer to that mark than his current position of World No. 78.

Back on clay for the first time in nearly two years, the two-time Madrid champion looked right at home in a 6-3, 6-4 win. It was his first victory on the surface since the 2017 Roland Garros quarter-finals, when he beat Kei Nishikori.

Murray’s last clay-court match came at Roland Garros in 2020, and he had initially planned to skip this year’s clay swing before deciding to accept a wild card into the Spanish ATP Masters 1000 event. Nonetheless, he showed very few signs of rust in a dominant display.

In a strong serving performance that included nine aces, Murray saved all three break points he faced, with all three coming in in his opening service game of the second set. He won 78 per cent of his first-serve points in the one-hour, 42-minute contest.

Thiem, still seeking the first win of his comeback from a right-wrist injury, was brilliant in stretches on Manolo Santana Stadium — never more so than when he flicked a stunning backhand pass late in the opening set.

But the Austrian’s powerful forehand misfired too often in what was just his third tour-level event of the year, and Murray zeroed in on that wing to break serve in both sets. Thiem finished with 33 unforced errors, 24 of them coming from the forehand.

Both men used the drop shot to great effect throughout the match, with Thiem creating his own personal highlight reel early in the early stages. But Murray showed his touch, too, and came up with the pick of the bunch in a smooth half-volley as he drove home an early-break advantage in the second set.

With the victory, Murray improves to 8-1 in first-round matches on the year. He next faces the winner of 14th seed Denis Shapovalov’s matchup with lucky loser Ugo Humbert of France.

Cameron Norrie is known for his hard-court success, but the Briton showed he is plenty capable on clay Monday in Madrid.

The ninth seed made a good Mutua Madrid Open debut when he clawed past South Korean Soonwoo Kwon 7-5, 7-5 at the Caja Magica. He will next play big-serving American John Isner, who hit 30 aces in his straight-sets victory on Sunday.

There was not much to differentiate between Norrie and Kwon, a qualifier, on Stadium 3. But according to Tennis Data Innovation’s Insights, the Briton was just a bit better converting his offensive positions and escaping defensive positions, which made all the difference.

That was especially clear in the second set. After losing the opener, Kwon increased his aggression and dominated the pair’s Balance of Power, playing 25 per cent of his points from an attacking position compared to just 19 per cent for Norrie. 

But Norrie was a brick wall on defence, and the South Korean was unable to break through. The British lefty stole 47 per cent of his points from a defensive position, and was also more efficient converting his offensive positions, 68 per cent to 53 per cent (Learn More About Conversion & Steal Scores).

Set Two Insights:

Norrie, who competed in last year’s Nitto ATP Finals as an alternate, let slip a break advantage in the second set. But he recovered thanks to his defensive skills and on match point, he stepped into the court and crushed a forehand winner to triumph after one hour and 49 minutes.

The 26-year-old will hope to take a lead in his ATP Head2Head series with Isner, against whom he has split four previous meetings. Their most recent clash came earlier this year on the hard courts of Acapulco, where Norrie triumphed 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4.

Gael Monfils looked in vintage form in his opening round win over Carlos Gimeno Valero at the Mutua Madrid Open on Monday afternoon, but the World No. 21 will have to go where he has never been before if he wants to extend his run at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Monfils holds a 0-17 record against his second-round opponent, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, and the two-time quarter-finalist is aware of the size of the task that lies ahead.

“[Playing Djokovic] is going to be a big challenge for me,” Monfils told ATPTour.com after his quickfire 6-3, 6-0 win over Spanish wild card Gimeno Valero. “I have never beaten him on the ATP Tour. I am getting my rhythm back as well and it is funny because he is too but has more matches on clay than me. I will try and make good decisions on the court, to try and beat him.”

If the Frenchman wants to notch a maiden win against 37-time Masters 1000 champion Djokovic, his outstanding defensive skills could be key. Perhaps more importantly, Monfils will have to use that defence to win points as effectively as he did against Gimeno Valero.

According to Tennis Data Innovations’ Conversion and Steal scores for the match, Monfils won 19 of 33 points after being in a defensive situation against the Spaniard. This gave him an impressive Steal score of 58 per cent for the first-round clash, showcasing Monfils’ ability to find a way to win points when under pressure (Learn More About Conversion and Steal Scores).

According to the match’s Balance of Power, Gimeno Valero was actually in an offensive position more often than Monfils. But the home favourite struggled to convert because of Monfils’ dogged defence, which made the difference.

Monfils will hope to regain his early season form as he faces Djokovic for the first time since 2020 in Dubai. The Frenchman began the season with an 8-2 record after clinching an 11th ATP Tour title in Adelaide and reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open in January. His form has dipped since then, but the 35-year-old is comfortable with his underdog status as he prepares to face three-time champion Djokovic in Madrid for the first time.

“The guy is better than me, that is it,” said Monfils. “Every match is an opportunity to win, I try to take some lessons. He can beat me tomorrow and maybe at Rome and then Roland Garros, and then maybe I can beat him once.”