Managing the fear factor could fuel Gael Monfils in his Roland Garros return.
It's been 36 years since Yannick Noah stood as the last Frenchman to rule Roland Garros.
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Carrying a nation's hopes—and his own major dreams—on his back has unnerved Monfils in the past.
The French No. 1 says he's striving to play without fear in his home Slam where he was a third-round casualty last year.
"Naturally, I do feel that some years, some seasons, you really don't want to lose more than you want to win in fact," Monfils told the media in Paris. "Some tournaments you play well, and you feel okay, I don't want to lose before the semis, and knowing that you can come down in the classification, in the ranking.
"It's hard work. I confess this, but I know that many players have this mindset. You don't want to lose where you won the year before, for example. And this might represent a hindrance for you."
The 14th-seeded Monfils opens against Japan's Taro Daniel.
If seeds hold true to form, Monfils would meet 23rd-seeded Fernano Verdasco in round three.
"Don't forget that my first seeded player is Verdasco, who plays very well. I lost my latest matches against him," Monfils said. "He is there. He, for the first match, he will be very present. As you heard, okay, if you play Thiem, Rafa, or Djoko in the fourth round, it's not necessarily easy. I think the draw means I will have to play well and increase progressively my game and my level, but as of the first match, I want to get reassured and feel I'm there, to fight a good match."
To prepare for Paris, Monfils has been training with buddy Stan Wawrinka in Switzerland and strengthening his sense of belief that at age 32 he can still master a major.
"I do believe in it, and that's the main thing," Monfils said. "The fact that you say you're believing in things is one thing. For many years, I have said I believe in it. But the main thing is, do you really believe in it?
"You shouldn't be afraid to say yes, I believe in it, and you shouldn't be afraid of the result. Because very often you're afraid of the result. And this year I'm not really afraid of the result. I feel that I'm making progress in the right direction that I picked with my staff, and if I continue making headway like this, a lot of things are going to come into place and will make me a dangerous player that could potentially win a Grand Slam."
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