Monfils prepares for Rublev: "I know perfectly what he is going to do"

For a long time, we thought Gael Monfils would be eternal, and judging by what we've seen, we might actually be right. The Frenchman is approaching 39 years old, but watching his matches, the feeling is that time won't be his main rival in the future. As long as he maintains motivation and his body respects him, this legend will continue to roar. He did so on Monday in his debut against Marozsan at the Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo, coming from behind in a rather tricky match to give himself a new triumph on a grand stage. After a job well done, it was time to listen to his reflections in the press conference and anticipate what awaits him in his next test.

The secret of his longevity

"Getting good rest is one of the keys; I had a few days off at home with my family. A couple of days ago, I started training again in Nimes, just finding my balance with the confidence I have. Obviously, adapting to the clay court presents a new challenge, a new program with my team, but I have the experience of having done it for many years on the circuit. I guess confidence is crucial, although sometimes you also need a bit of luck."

Comeback against Marozsan

"I don't know where the key moment was, I really don't know... I can't pinpoint a turning point because I don't locate it, I suppose it was when I broke his serve, from then on I started to feel more comfortable. Suddenly, in the second set, I started to feel much better, I had more confidence to set up my shots and tactics. I can't say at what point everything changed, but I think I took complete control when I went up with that double break."

The spectacular point that went viral

"Those points are always strange because then you have to play the next point immediately. In this case, he had to serve again, where he double-faulted after missing the first serve. At that moment, I tried to play a bit differently, slow down the pace so he would play more, and that completely changed the situation. He didn't even play the last one, so I tried to press him from that moment on, it was like a mental shock for him after that long exchange. Then he got lucky with a deep return, which ended up bothering him even more."

Satisfied with his season

"I didn't expect to play so well in this first match, so my contract is fulfilled: I won a match. This season, I wanted to win a match here, and now I have one, so maybe it's time to stop (laughs). Today I achieved something I hadn't done in a while, which is moving well, hitting well from both sides, and serving well. This helped me not to panic after the first set. I had a bit of luck on some break points, but the truth is that I felt really good throughout the match."

Against Rublev in the second round

"I see it positively, I don't know what to say; it will be a good match. I've played a million matches like this, so we'll see. Honestly, I know perfectly well what he's going to do, so it depends a bit more on me, if I'll be able to counterattack and find a solution. I know it will be a very intense clash; he'll hit hard every time he has the opportunity after a short ball, so that's what I expect. Either I lose or win, there won't be an issue with either. Today, I'm happy because I've already won a match."

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