ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2025

Gael Monfils

Press Conference

G. MONFILS/J. Dellien

4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. We've seen you play matches like this over the years many times. What do you think it says about you that you're able to produce these moments so many times?

GAEL MONFILS: I feel like the belief, the belief of myself, the belief that even I'm down, I needs to find the solution. I think I have also the even more here but the have to find the solution, have to find the solution. I keep fighting with the opponent, with my thought also because is never easy also in your mind.

To be honest, for me is the belief, the belief of myself. I know in Roland Garros is a little bit different, so I even push more.

Q. Can you describe what happened in the first game with the injury scare, how worried were you?

GAEL MONFILS: I think my foots just stop. Unfortunately was (indiscernible), so I cut off my hands. That was the first thing. Then I think I somehow hit my knee on the ground, on the concrete. It was this one a little bit more painful. Then also I click a little bit my back, so...

But to be honest with you, when you have a bigger pain somewhere, is the one is dominant. I couldn't really hold my racquet at the beginning because of the cut. But my knee was very painful. Then my back was the second one. But then the anti-inflammatories help me.

I feel like when you hit something, your body just contract a lot for the shock. I had a lot of adrenaline, so I was super stress and my body was not that relax. Muscle, they were like tight. So for me it was a process to loosen my body, to be honest, to loosen my body just to feel right.

Soon I found peace. It was great night for me. I could really focus on the match. It took time. But I felt like I could do it. Just like, Okay, now let's play.

Q. Extra pressure when you know you're the only match of the night session, five minutes in and you're worried it could be potentially over?

GAEL MONFILS: No, the first pressure to be honest is not mainly Roland Garros. You think about yourself. Not many Roland Garros left. I don't want to win like one of the last Roland Garros after three points. That's the first thing, this is hard. You think yourself first. Myself was like, Wow.

And also obviously two years ago I had a problem with my wrist, so I was like, Wow. Okay, wrist fine. I hope I didn't break anything on my knee or something. That was my concern first. It was more about myself than the rest.

You can have, like, two, three months out of the season for just let's say a little mistake. I was concerned for myself first.

Q. You play Jack Draper next. What have you made of his rise?

GAEL MONFILS: I always said Jack would be a top-10 player. Like he was a youngster, played a lot in the practice. I really like the kid. He's a fantastic player. He's a top five. He has a lot of weapons, a lot of weapons. He's very gifted. It's going to be a hard one. He's in full confidence.

I will do what I do best, try to recover and try to give my best there in Paris, in Roland Garros, and we'll see what scenario we will have.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. Do you think you should start the matches two sets down so that the magic starts?

GAEL MONFILS: You're not being nice.

Q. We feel like when you are in such situations, you do everything for it to be great.

GAEL MONFILS: I started well, but I just fell.

Q. Well, it seems that in those situations, you're even stronger.

GAEL MONFILS: No, not stronger. I don't like such a situation. But honestly I was disappointed because I was well into the match tactically, I was moving well. I was upset for the double-fault for the set point because I believe I could have turned this first set around. I was leading 2-0. For many reasons I got tense.

But these are not situations that I like. Even less now. Even less now. I can tell you because I'm not necessarily stronger. I always manage, but that's it.

Q. You were saying in English that you took antiinflammatories and it helped you. Now that you cooled off, how do you feel?

GAEL MONFILS: Well, I had a cold bath, so it helped. My hands hurt a lot, really a lot. For my back, the physiotherapist helped me. I'm still warm, but I'm not overly worried, I would say. I was able to play and move properly. I hope I wake up feeling good. Tomorrow I intend to train rather early. I'm not changing my schedule.

Q. Talking about this magical aspect, I know you like magic. You created great magic today. What happens in your mind, in your heart? Do you have special vibes when you get into Philippe Chatrier?

GAEL MONFILS: Well, as I said to him, no. To be honest, it's very difficult because it's difficult to express. It's really magic. It's strange, but there's this point which was incredible for the match, was this passing shot. I tried something. I thought I was going to lose the point. I thought this was over. I hit a winner. I had to dare. It's being a mentalist. That is magic. You go for it and, boom, you succeed.

Thanks to experience I was able to continue my match. I can't explain what happens. Just a lot of success.

Q. Can we go back to the atmosphere. You like night sessions. Do you hope that your next round against Jack Draper will take place during a night session?

GAEL MONFILS: I love night sessions. I think it's fabulous. I was lucky enough to have that several times. It's just extraordinary. I try to do the best I can.

I hope for the next match it will be a night session. It will depend on many things, including how I wake up in the morning, that I'm ready to face a big fight. I can thank Amelie. When Amelie asked me, I say, Okay, I'm ready or not. When she asks me, I'll tell her if I'm ready to take on a night session. But if I feel I have hesitations, I won't hesitate to tell her, Well, no, I'll pass for this time.

So for the moment I'm still warm, I feel good.

Q. I understand from my two colleagues during the fourth set there was a tiebreak. It was better for you because at 6-4 maybe the fifth was more tense.

GAEL MONFILS: Well, I see what you're aiming at. At 5-4 I preferred to finish on my service game because I was a double break up, which I didn't manage. I prefer winning 6-4 because you win as the boss when you set the set 6-4, while in this case I finished, then I had to serve. Honestly, I prefer to finish being the boss.

Q. How would you classify this match if you think of the match against Baez two years ago? Where would you position this one?

GAEL MONFILS: There's been a lot of epic matches. It's an epic one, okay? But not that. Cuevas was incredible. Do you remember James Blake on Court No. 1 where I won in five sets, 6-4 in the fifth set. I won with an exceptional passing shot. Dick Norman. There were incredible matches with incredible breaks in the fifth set.

The archives, I have incredible archives. There have been crazy matches. Ferrer was good, as well, four sets. But I also played five sets against him on the Suzanne Lenglen. This one, good match, good match.

Q. (No microphone.)

GAEL MONFILS: Cuevas I can tell you was more difficult. Cuevas and Baez, it was more difficult.

Q. Do you know you have the same number of victories as Yannick Noah in Roland Garros, 40 times?

GAEL MONFILS: I won 40 times here? It means I've played for a long time. That's probably the reason why.