Gael Monfils' heartwarming daughter reveal in 'unforgettable' scenes
The Frenchman had the tennis world in tears after the emotional win.
French favourite Gael Monfils has broken down in tears as the Roland Garros crowd sung the national anthem after dedicating his win to his daughter after an 'impossible' comeback. Monfils has been dealing with a number of injury setbacks late in his career having been working his way back on tour with a mix of Challenger and main tour events before Paris.
Monfils is one of the most-loved players on tour and this was evident when he took to Phillipe-Cartier court for the night session match against Sebastian Baez. And the two put on one of the most entertaining ever matches in one of the all-time atmospheres seen at a grand slam.
BRUTAL: Djokovic dragged into ugly war-of-words with rival at Roland Garros
WILD: Daniil Medvedev hits back at crowd amid stunning French Open upset
Having not won on the ATP main tour since August last year, Monfils' chances looked dim as he fell behind early. However, the crowd got right behind their man with Monfils bouncing back to win the next two sets as the main court erupted in rare scenes.
The Frenchman's level dropped and Baez took the marathon match to the fifth set. The Argentinean then stormed to a 4-0 lead in the fifth as Monfils cramped up and struggled to walk between games.
The finish appeared to be close when the 36-year-old 0-4 and 30-40 down. But in remarkable scenes, Monfils was not done.
The vociferous crowd cheered on their favourite as Monfils fought back in what was deemed the 'impossible'. He won the match after hitting a backhand winner down the line.
Monfils dropped to the floor and broke down in tears after winning his first main card match since August. Speaking to the crowd in his on-court interview, Monfils said he was thinking about his daughter when facing defeat in the fifth set.
"At 3-0 down in the fifth I told myself I haven't won a match since I'm a dad, and my daughter is in Paris, and I gotta get one for her," an emotional Monfils said.
Monfils is married to fellow tennis professional Elina Svitolina. Monfils signed the camera lens with his daughter's name, Skai, in his post-match celebration. The tennis world was overwhelmed with joy after Monfils' victory and also lauded the incredible atmosphere created on the main court at Roland Garros.
This is was just ridiculous 🙀
— Luhanga Junior® (@juan_gutty) May 30, 2023
Gael Monfils signed the camera "Skaï" the name of him and Svitolina's daughter.
He said after the match that he won because of her. 🥹
The fact that he drew inspiration from his daughter is so beautiful. pic.twitter.com/JZUZtYIglv— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 30, 2023
You wonder what athletes struggling well past their prime are still playing for
Gael Monfils just gave us the answer https://t.co/QZsX80WHzC— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) May 30, 2023
Gael Monfils: ‘At 3-0 down in the fifth I told myself I haven’t won a match since I’m a dad, and my daughter is in Paris, and I gotta get one for her’ pic.twitter.com/uBCXJAlWQ7
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) May 30, 2023
Monfils breaks again to 5-5 in the 5th.
Impossible to describe this atmosphere, it’s one of the best I’ve ever witnessed and the court isn’t packed… pic.twitter.com/vlNMbrViWO— José Morgado (@josemorgado) May 30, 2023
Gael Monfils is in tears after winning from 0-4 down in set 5. The crowd is singing to him
The French crowd got even louder the closer he was to defeat
This was one of the most inspiring moments I’ve seen on a tennis court
I’m truly humbled that one human can give this much❤️ pic.twitter.com/zumwQEQBbr— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 30, 2023
Gael Monfils praises incredible Roland Garros atmosphere
After the match, Monfils thanked the crowd for getting him over the line when he was struggling.
"I was cramping at the end, a lot of [it was] with the nerves, and of course I'm tired, but a big part of [it was] the nerves," Monfils added. "I'm playing full [of] adrenaline, like honestly, I asked the crowd to scream, and somehow I juiced up.
"I know at one hand I will pay, I will pay, and I had to hold it at the end. But I hope to have a good night today and tomorrow and [focus on] heavy recovery, and no matter what, I will be ready for him Thursday."
The Frenchman will now play one of the tournament favourites, Holger Rune, in the next round. The crowd will again cheer on their favourite, which will a must-watch event against the fiery Danish prodigy.
Sign up to our newsletter and score the biggest sport stories of the week.