‘He was the reason I fell in love with the game’ – Russian tennis star all-praises for Gael Monfils after Arizona Tennis Classic win
Gael Monfils attracts praise (Source: Twitter)
Alexander Shevchenko, a Russian tennis player, expressed his admiration for Gael Monfils after defeating the Frenchman on March 16 at the Arizona Tennis Classic.
Gael Monfils made his ATP Tour comeback at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells following a seven-month hiatus. Jordan Thompson eliminated Monfils from the tournament in their first encounter, preventing Monfils from beginning his campaign with a victory.
Following his loss at Indian Wells, the Frenchman competed at the ATP Challenger Arizona Tennis Tournament in Phoenix alongside Matteo Berrettini, Diego Schwartzman, and Alexander Bublik, among others. In his opening match, the former World No. 6 faced up against Alexander Shevchenko in a hotly contested three-set struggle that the Russian ultimately prevailed in 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.
“Such an emotional match for me because he was the reason I fell in love with the game. @iamgaelmonfils good luck in Miami, bro,” Shevchenko wrote on Instagram.
‘Perfect timing’ – Gael Monfils on his foot injury
Gael Monfils addressed in a recent interview about looking for the positives in his injury-plagued 2022 season. The tennis star claimed that the timing of his foot injury allowed him to be with his wife, fellow tennis player Elina Svitolina, during the latter stages of her pregnancy. The two relished the first few months of her pregnancy, becoming parents to their daughter Skai.
“Perfect timing. I say I always try to see the positive in the negative, and that was almost the best timing. I could be with my wife at the end of her pregnancy and support her because it’s never easy the last days and everything. And then, of course, at the beginning, as a parent, taking care of the little one as a team. It was great timing for me and also very important. At the end, that’s what matters,” Gael Monfils said.
“That’s life; that’s real life. To be a team there for our baby was great for me. The happiness, it’s crazy. The happiness, the love. I can be a little bit tired or unhappy with what I’m doing because I want to be perfect. But as soon as I see my daughter, everything vanishes. It’s a great feeling,” he added.
