Gael Monfils Plays His Final Roland-Garros Match After Losing 1st Round

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]Paris raised him. Roland Garos loved him and he gave every ounce of it back in true Monty's fashion, battling back down two sets to the very end. He played tennis to make the crowd fall in love.

[00:00:19]And proof of that love, it is after midnight here in Paris and not a soul has left Chhatriier. Not a person has moved from their seat here in Musketeers Square as they are honoring the career of Gel Manfis. This was his 19th and final roll in Garos. A true legend in Paris tied for the most wins at Rolling Garos all time with the French Open champion Yanni Noah.

[00:00:49]They give him a piece of that clay, the terabatu. Every layer meaningful, every moment with Mis has been as well a goodbye for Gel.

[00:01:29]They are going to continue to honor Gael. We're going to take you through the day. Good evening to everyone on the east coast. Good afternoon on the west.

[00:01:36]It is good morning. It's already Tuesday here in Paris. Caroline Wniaki, Sam Quiry, John Ezner, Adam Lufkco. These people haven't moved. No one has left Shot Trier. Let's relive this match and we'll continue the celebration of Gel Memphis taking on former uh fellow Frenchman Hugo Gaston. And it was all Gaston early in this one. It sure was.

[00:01:58]Gaston actually hadn't won a match on the tour level prior to the match tonight. Right. So going into this, it's not like M Pas has been lighting it up this year, but you thought, hey, this is a good draw for M Pas playing another Frenchman who hasn't been playing well, but it was Gaston, the the fancy lefty Frenchman who kind of came out was the one pulling off some crazy shots. Check out this point right here. This is We had a ton of points like that during this match, right? It's what you expected from two French players. You got the dramatics, you got the drop shots, you got the injury timeouts, you got the long bathroom breaks. If there was a match for Gle to go out on, it was this type of match.

[00:02:33]>> Gastone 25 years old. This is one of his heroes growing up. Third set, classic Monties.

[00:02:39]>> Yeah, classic m just like he did last year in the first round. Got down two sets glove. You knew he was not going to go away quietly. That's exactly what happened. Gets the uh break right here to go up 5-3. The crowd is fired up. He gives everyone his feet. This is what we're accustomed to seeing from Monte at this tournament here in Rolandos. takes the third set home here. Now the whole crowd is on their feet and you knew this at this point you knew for as a matter of fact it was going to go five sets.

[00:03:06]That's exactly what happened. Got up an early break in the fourth. Another unbelievable drop shot right there. And you know Gaston's one of the fastest guys on tour. Couldn't couldn't catch up to that one. But Von started serving bigger, hitting bigger, getting the crowd on the feet which was surprising.

[00:03:22]Obviously, no one expected the fifth set result which we all just witnessed. He just ran out of gas in the fifth set. I think all the years and the miles cut it kind of eventually a culmination of all that just took its toll in the fifth set for Gel and unfortunately he went down seven or excuse me 6 in the fifth set.

[00:03:43]We thought it was going to be a close encounter. We or even you know Mont feast was going to win easily. um wasn't to be did not see Geston winning in 6o in the fifth. It was a bittersweet sweet ending for Gel.

[00:03:55]>> It was one of those moments where the magician may have used his last trick.

[00:04:00]He he it felt like it was all scripted.

[00:04:03]It felt like we knew what was going to happen. This is a live look. His wife Alina Spinolina who pulled off an incredible comeback of her own. Emotions are on high at the end of his reign at Rolling Bars. Yeah, this is going to be such an emo emotional day and night for for this family. Obviously, this tournament means so much to Gail. He has played here 19 times. A tournament he grew up watching.

[00:04:26]>> I mean, I don't know. I don't think they really can comprehend what's going on yet. I think they'll go home and they can really realize everything that's happened over the last many, many years had the opportunity to play here.

[00:04:41]>> All right. Gay Monfi, one of the greats, not just on the court, off the court, a great human being. Hats off to him.

[00:04:48]>> I feel like we should be a little more lively. This is very somber tone right now. He's an amazing career. I know he lost. He wasn't going to win the tournament.

[00:04:56]>> It's But it's actually got people also got to remember this is not the end of his career.

[00:05:00]>> Oh yeah, >> he's actually playing the rest of the year. I don't know how many tournaments he's going to play. He is going to end his career in Paris at the indoor event at the end of the year. But this is the tournament that means the most to him.

[00:05:11]So absolutely two paris send offs for feast. So >> but and I think you almost thought it was on purpose he lost the first two set just to get this five set.

[00:05:21]>> I think he did so typical he's like you know what I'm going going to come out here. I don't think he took into consideration that he is you know 40 years old and uh he doesn't have the gas anymore for a fifth set.

[00:05:33]>> I like that you're like let's celebrate it was >> Yeah. Sam said earlier that, you know, he doesn't like winning in comprehensive fashion. He'd almost rather play a five setter and lose in dramatic fashion.

[00:05:45]You, you know, you never want to see the 6o in the fifth. But the fact that this match went to five sets, I don't think surprises no one.

[00:05:52]>> You told me a story. We were walking to the green room earlier. You had an experience at the US Open with Moni. He has the ability to turn any crowd against their home player. That happened to you in New York City. Yeah, I played him in a night match there and I got up on him early and then you know you know the US Open night crowd they want to see more tennis and Monte um in the third set down two sets to love kind of came back hit some crazy shots started getting the crowd on their feet and they started drinking more in the crowd and they just wanted to see more tennis next thing I know the New York crowd is chanting him on Feast's name in a night match in in New York City with me playing him but it was it's what he does he just has a flare for the dramatic he's such a showman out there so much fun to watch in my mind He's I think he's the greatest athlete our sport has ever seen. I would put him up there with the greatest athletes of all time. He's that quick um and that athletic on the court. What he could do in his prime, second to none.

[00:06:44]>> How many years later did it take you to forgive the New York crowd?

[00:06:47]>> Oh, no. I was I I overreacted initially.

[00:06:50]No, no. They wanted more tennis and I would have wanted more tennis if I was them as well and they got some more. So, it was a you know, it's US Open. That's that's what they want.

[00:06:58]>> But you're right. Positivity is what is needed when talking about Guy Moni.

[00:07:02]There's not a sad bone in that man's body. The joy he brings to everyone is palpable.

[00:07:07]>> Totally. And look, we could play a highlight reel like right now of Ga Moni's greatest shots. It it would go on for days. Honestly, he's got that jumping overhead. He's sliding all over the court. He was one of those players that was loved everywhere in the world.

[00:07:21]Whether you were playing in America, in South America, in in the Middle East, in Asia, it didn't matter. People were buying a ticket to watch this man play.

[00:07:28]>> I couldn't agree more. I think if you show a player, you can show Rafa play, you can show a Roger play and you have to explain that to a kid. Okay, why does it make why are they so great, right?

[00:07:39]And you start showing them matches and this and that and maybe they understand.

[00:07:43]So a kid, you show Mont Fuse, you show him one rally >> and they'll understand, wow, that was really cool. They did it sweener. They jumped, they cramped, they I mean there's a lot of drama going on even in one rally and you can really explain all of Mongi in one point.

[00:07:58]>> Yeah. It's not about the stats.

[00:07:59]Sometimes it's about the showmanship.

[00:08:01]It's about the joy that a sport puts inside of you.