By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday February 8, 2021
Gael Monfils broke down in tears as he talked to reporters about the nightmare that never ends. The Frenchman was red-hot last year at this time, but ever since the coronavirus hit tennis, he has been unable to win a single match. His losing streak stretched to seven matches on Monday in Australia, as he fell to Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori in five sets on Day 1 of the Australian Open.
“I would like to get up and tell you that this nightmare is over, but here I am,” Monfils said, tears flowing down his face.
It’s been rough for the flamboyant Frenchman. He’s normally so in tune to the crowd, as one of the great entertainers that tennis has seen in the last few decades. But without fans in attendance due to strict coronavirus restrictions across the globe, he has been unable to find his magic powers.
“I try to be patient, I work,” he said. “But I can't find the right tempo, the right pace, my playing. And I don't feel good because I can't do what I want, because I don't have the confidence, because I can't find my game, I can't find my forehand, I can't find my serve. This is what makes me not well. It is visible. It's hard. It's frustrating. I struggle, I try to try things but I can't do it at all.”
There are fans in Melbourne this week, but even that could not change Monfils’ fortunes.
“Yes, I want to win,” he said. “I'm trying to rebuild myself so I can win. I have no confidence. I train, I try to believe in what I do in training. But it's hard.”
Monfils hopes the media will give him respect and time, as he works to get back on his feet. In his press conference he told them that he feels judged, and it seems to him like they are kicking him when he’s down.
“You will say that I lost again, but for me it is the first loss of the year. I try to continue working, to see the moment when it will smile on me a little more. There, I arrive with zero, zero confidence. Every time I arrive here [to a press conference], I feel judged. I'm already on the ground, you shoot me. No trust.”