Two weeks after his defeat against Jordan Thompson (6-3, 6-1) in Indian Wells, for his resumption match after 7 months off following a foot injury, Gaël Monfils was forced to retire as soon as the first round in Miami where he faced his compatriot Ugo Humbert (24 years old, 78th).
After scoring a white break after a poor service game from Messin, Monfils felt a sharp pain in his right wrist at 3-1 as he served at 0-30. Forced to shorten the point with a failed drop shot, the 36-year-old Frenchman (280th in the world) immediately went to his chair, grimacing and called on the trainer who wasted no time in entering the court. Manipulated during a long break, Monfils resumed the match at 0-40 with a marked face.
Unable to hit the slightest shot, he managed to save these 3 break points by pushing the ball flat, in the service as in the exchange. But after a missed passing, he lost his commitment on a double fault. Humbert easily recovered at 3-3 and while the Parisian was about to serve, we saw him make a sign that he could no longer hold his racket, then head towards the net to greet the referee, then his opponent from the left hand.
“I hope it’s not the sheath that broke, because if that’s it, it’s an operation and six months off…”
Sébastien Grosjean, Davis Cup captain
At the exit of the court, the Davis Cup captain Sébastien Grosjean, who came as a neighbor (he lives in Boca Raton 40 minutes from Miami) was worried about the former leader of the France team: “I hope it’s not the sheath that broke like Corentin Moutet’s right wrist in Australia, because if that’s it, it’s an operation and six months off…”
Leaving the Granstand of the Hard Rock Stadium at 7:40 p.m. (0:40 a.m. in France), Gaël Monfils showed up in the mixed zone an hour later: “I felt a big shock on a serve and I tried a drop shot behind because I immediately felt that it was not good. I hurt my hand a bit last week. (at the Phoenix Challenger where he lost to Alexander Shevchenko) so if it’s due to that or not I don’t really know. I got manipulated before I eventually got strapped, but I think it’s deeper than just manipulation. I couldn’t do forehands, only backhands. »
I’m very disappointed because I was better physically, I think it showed. I moved very well, I ran very well both to the right and to the left.
Visibly affected by this new setback, Monfils did not want to fall into pessimism. “I hurt my wristhe summed up, frowning. Then you try to compensate, to do things but it’s never good. To tell the truth, I also have pain in my forearm because I had to compensate too much on the points I played. I’m very disappointed because I was better physically, I think it showed. I moved very well, I ran very well both to the right and to the left. Match after match, you have to find the rhythm and there I was better so inevitably, I was very sad immediately afterwards. But you have to think of things that are a little more positive, and since I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I try not to freak out too much. »
At almost 37 years old (he will be in September), Gaël Monfils knows that a new long-term recovery could lead him to ask questions about the future. “I hurt myself, I’m defeated, I’m going home to do some exams and from there I’m going to have treatment. If it is two weeks, six or more I do not know. I hope as little as possible. I haven’t succeeded in hurting myself again but I take it on myself, it must come from something that I don’t necessarily do well. I don’t want it, but if someone tells me that I broke my wrist and that I have nine months left, well yes, you’re thinking about things… But I don’t think I have nine months left. ‘stop. »
