Written by Richard Pagliaro | @Itenisi_Manje | Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Photo credit: Matthew Calvin
Gael Monfils not a meteorologist.
But the 38-year-old Frenchman can see a storm brewing.
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He was asked to preview his upcoming Rolex Shanghai Masters vs. Carlos Alcaraz, Monfils said this prediction is painful.
The expansive Monfils is awaiting full release.
“I think he’s going to beat me. He’s going to crush me 100 percent, you know,” Monfils told the media in Shanghai. “I think I was lucky, like I said.
“Last time I was very lucky, and it wasn’t as good as him, and one of my best games for me.”
Monfils passed his fellow Frenchman Ugo Humbert 7-6(7), 2-6, 6-1 to set up a rematch of the Rolex Shanghai Masters vs. Alcaraz.
The last time the two played at the Cincinnati Open on August 16, Monfils struggled.
On his second match point, Monfils earned a major winner, downing reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon winner Alcaraz 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 to reach the third round of the Cincinnati Open.
It was Monfils’ first Top 3 win since becoming world No. 1 Daniel Medvedev in Indian Wells 2022.
The magic of Lamonf 🌟
Time @Gael_Monfils beat Carlos Alcaraz to become the second oldest ATP player to achieve Top-3 wins this century! #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/fXO6kC3Qgr
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 16, 2024
The 37-year-old French shooter made his mark as the second-oldest man to defeat the No. 3 player this century after his 38-year-old friend. Roger Federer, who beat Novak Djokovic in the 2019 ATP Finals.
The 2023 Cincinnati runner-up, Alcaraz had a 31-1 record when he won the first set of the season with his only loss coming in a set to Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals of the Mutua Madrid Open last May.
Now, the third-seeded Spaniard will be out of the Beijing tournament.
Downplaying his chances of causing a second straight upset of the Spanish star may be Monfils’ way of taking the pressure off, but he says it’s a sign of his deep respect for Alcaraz’s court game.
Monfils says his main goal is to avoid being “crushed” by the champion he calls a “future legend.”
“His quality is unbelievable. I have done a lot too, but he is, as I say, coming like a legend,” said Monfils. “So, I think you’re going to crush me, but like I said, I’m going to do my best not to be crushed easily, by the way.
“But everything is a bonus, a bonus, you know. It’s not like I’m coming to the court, yeah, with an attitude, because I have experience. But now I have experience, and I can talk like really, you know, this kid is something else, so, it’s going to be a 99 percent chance for him, but to get a percentage, you know, that’s why I’m going to enjoy myself, but as a real man I tell you, no, this kid is something else.”
