After a year 2021 which he himself described as “horrible”, Gaël Monfils regains his colors in 2022. On Saturday, the Frenchman, the 21st player in the world, qualified for the final of the ATP 250 in Adelaide by winning easily against the Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis (n ° 171). On Sunday, he will face Russian Karen Khachanov (No. 29) in an attempt to win the eleventh title of his career. A week before the start of the Australian Open, a new trophy would come at the right time to fill up with confidence.
In the semi-final, Monfils was hung for a set time, but was able to break at the right time, with all his power, to take the lead. He was much quieter in the second set, which he dispatched in 37 minutes, to reach a final in his first tournament of the year, the 23rd of his career. Since 2005, he has reached an ATP final at least once every year. His last title, however, dates from February 2020, before the circuit was disrupted by the Covid.
“It undermined me,” he explained of the pandemic a few days ago. I experienced it very badly on the personal side and the pro side. For me the period of mid-2020 and 2021 no longer exists. The only thing I remember from 2021 is my marriage (Editor’s note: with Elina Svitolina, at least July) but it was really a bad year, I do not even have words to talk about it. We have the impression that we are less affected because we are athletic but we are all human beings. ”
2022 could mark a new start, at 35: Monfils has already started the year by formalizing a change of equipment supplier, by committing to Decathlon.