Challenges Faced by Gaël Monfils: Obstacles and Turning Points

Resilience and perseverance in the journey of Gaël Monfils. A timeline of obstacles and growth.

Gaël Monfils is a French professional tennis player known for his athleticism and exciting playing style. He achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 6 in 2016. Monfils has reached two Grand Slam semifinals (2008 French Open, 2016 US Open) and three ATP Masters 1000 finals (Paris Masters in 2009 and 2010, Monte-Carlo Masters in 2016). He has won 13 ATP Tour singles titles throughout his career, solidifying his status as a top player.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

2008: Withdrawal from Australian Open

In 2008, Monfils was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open due to a hamstring injury.

2009: Qatar Open and Australian Open

In 2009, Gaël Monfils played in the Qatar Open, upsetting Rafael Nadal, and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open before retiring due to a wrist injury. He also lost in the final at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.

2009: Japan Open and Shanghai Masters

In 2009, Monfils reached the semifinal stage of the Japan Open, losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He also competed in the Shanghai Masters, where he retired with a back injury. He lost the final in the 2009 Paris Masters against Novak Djokovic.

2009: Wimbledon Withdrawal and US Open

In 2009, Monfils withdrew from Wimbledon due to a wrist injury, later losing to Rafael Nadal at the US Open, but won the Open de Moselle. Despite jetlag, he also made the quarterfinals at the Malaysian Open.

2010: US Open, Rakuten Japan Open, Open Sud de France, Paris Masters

In 2010, Gaël Monfils lost to Novak Djokovic at the US Open in the quarterfinals, marking his first quarterfinal appearance at a major outside of the French Open. He was also the first Frenchman to reach the US Open quarterfinals since 2000. He was a runner-up at the Rakuten Japan Open, losing to Rafael Nadal, and won the Open Sud de France against Ivan Ljubičić. At the Paris Masters, he reached the final for the second consecutive year, securing three Top 10 wins before being defeated by Robin Söderling.

2010: Grass-Court Season and MercedesCup Final

In 2010, Monfils lost in the second round at the Aegon Championships and reached the second round at Wimbledon for the first time since 2007. He also reached his first final of the year at the MercedesCup, where he was forced to retire against Albert Montañés.

2010: Indian Wells Masters and Madrid Masters

In 2010, Monfils played in the Indian Wells Masters, losing to Simon Greul. He withdrew from several Masters 1000 events due to injury, eventually reaching the quarterfinals at the Madrid Masters. His next tournament was the 2010 French Open, where he had reached the quarterfinals the year before.

2010: Brisbane International and Australian Open

In 2010, Monfils started his season at the Brisbane International, losing in the semifinals. He withdrew from the Medibank International due to a shoulder injury and lost in the round of 32 at the Australian Open. He also lost in the semifinals at the SA Tennis Open.

2011: AAMI Kooyong Classic and San Jose Open

In 2011, Gaël Monfils began the year at the AAMI Kooyong Classic, losing to Lleyton Hewitt in the final. Following the 2011 Australian Open, he played in San Jose, reaching the semifinals before withdrawing due to a left wrist injury that had been affecting him since January.

2011: Legg Mason Tennis Classic, Canadian Masters, Cincinnati Masters, US Open and Stockholm Open

In 2011, Gaël Monfils reached the final of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, losing to Radek Štěpánek. He also reached the quarterfinals of the Canadian Masters and the Cincinnati Masters, losing to Novak Djokovic in both. In July 2011, he achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 7. At the US Open, he lost in the second round to Juan Carlos Ferrero. Monfils won the Stockholm Open, defeating Jarkko Nieminen in the final.

2011: French Open and Wimbledon

In 2011, at the French Open, Gaël Monfils defeated David Ferrer to reach the quarterfinals, where he lost to Roger Federer. At Wimbledon, as the ninth seed, he was defeated by Łukasz Kubot in the third round.

2012: Qatar Open and Australian Open

In 2012, Gaël Monfils reached the final of the Qatar Open, where he lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. At the 2012 Australian Open, he reached the third round before losing to Mikhail Kukushkin, suffering from a back injury. In Montpellier, he lost the final to Tomáš Berdych.

2012: Madrid Masters and Injury Hiatus

In 2012, Gaël Monfils reached the third round of the Madrid Masters, losing to Tomáš Berdych. Due to a knee injury, he didn't play on tour from May to September. He made a comeback in September in Metz, reaching the quarterfinals. In October 2012, he withdrew from the Japan Open due to right knee pain, ending his season early.

2013: Doha, Auckland, and Australian Open

In 2013, Gaël Monfils reached the quarterfinals in Doha. He advanced to the semifinals in Auckland, where David Ferrer eliminated him. At the 2013 Australian Open, he was defeated in the third round by Gilles Simon.

2013: Montpellier, Rotterdam, French Open, Winston-Salem, and US Open

In 2013, Gaël Monfils was defeated in the second round of Montpellier by Richard Gasquet. He received a wildcard into Rotterdam, but was defeated in the first round by Juan Martín del Potro. At the 2013 French Open he upset Berdych in the first round. He reached the final in Winston-Salem, but bowed out to Jürgen Melzer due to an injury. At the US Open on August 27, 2013, he defeated Adrian Ungur in the first round but lost to John Isner in the second round.

2014: Doha and Australian Open

In 2014, Gaël Monfils reached his third final in Doha and lost to Rafael Nadal. He was again defeated by Nadal in the third round of the 2014 Australian Open.

2014: Montpellier and French Open

In 2014, Gaël Monfils won Montpellier, defeating Richard Gasquet. He injured his wrist in a match against Grigor Dimitrov and didn't play again until the 2014 French Open, where he reached the quarterfinals before losing to Andy Murray.

2014: US Open Quarterfinals

In 2014, at the US Open, Gaël Monfils reached the quarterfinals for a second time. He narrowly missed reaching his second Grand Slam semifinal, losing to Roger Federer in five sets, despite leading by two sets and holding two match points.

2015: Australian Open

In 2015, Gaël Monfils played his first tournament at the Australian Open. He defeated Lucas Pouille in five sets in the first round before losing to Jerzy Janowicz in another five-set match.

2015: Paris Masters and Year-End Reflection

In 2015, at the Paris Masters, Gaël Monfils was knocked out in the first round by Benoît Paire. He defined 2015 as a "year of regrets" where he "regressed, wasted a year because of certain choices".

2015: US Open Retirement and Coaching Change

In 2015, due to injuries, Gaël Monfils retired in the middle of his first-round match of the US Open against Illya Marchenko. He also ended his collaboration with his coach Jan de Witt, replacing him with Mikael Tillström.

2015: Monte Carlo Masters Semifinals

In 2015, for his season debut on clay at the Monte Carlo Masters, Gaël Monfils beat Andrey Kuznetsov, Roger Federer, and Grigor Dimitrov but lost to Tomáš Berdych in the semifinals.

2016: Stockholm Open

In 2016, Gaël Monfils entered the Stockholm Open, where he was upset by Gastão Elias, resulting in his ranking dropping to No. 8.

2016: ATP World Tour Finals Debut

In 2016, Gaël Monfils qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals for the first time. He withdrew from the tournament with an injury after falling to Raonic and losing to Thiem.

2016: US Open Semifinals

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the US Open semifinals without dropping a set, but lost a controversial match to Novak Djokovic. He was criticized for his playing style during the match.

2016: Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid Masters, Rome Masters, French Open

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the quarterfinals of Indian Wells and Miami, losing to Raonic and Kei Nishikori, respectively. He reached the final in Monte Carlo, losing to Rafael Nadal. He caught a viral infection during his stay in Madrid and ended up losing in the second round to Pablo Cuevas and withdrew from the French Open as well. He lost in the first round of the Rome Masters to Thomaz Bellucci.

2016: Canadian Masters Semifinals

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the semifinals of the Canadian Masters after defeating Milos Raonic, but lost to Novak Djokovic, ending his win streak of 9 consecutive matches.

2016: Japan Open and Shanghai Masters

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the semifinals of the Japan Open, losing to Nick Kyrgios. At the Shanghai Masters, he defeated Kevin Anderson but lost to David Goffin, guaranteeing him to match his career-high ranking of No. 7.

2016: Australian Open and Rotterdam Open

In 2016, Gaël Monfils started the season at the Australian Open, reaching the quarterfinals for the first time, where he lost to Milos Raonic. He then reached the final of the Rotterdam Open, losing to Martin Kližan.

2016: Olympics Tennis Tournament

In 2016, at the Olympics tennis tournament, Gaël Monfils paired with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the men's doubles draw. In the men's singles draw, Monfils reached the quarterfinals and lost to Kei Nishikori.