Indian Wells Masters: Monfils’ return to tennis ends with first round loss to Thompson

Monfils was playing his first tournament since August of last year

Gael Monfils (FRA) at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Well Tennis Garden. Image Credit: AI/Reuters/Panoramic

Haresh Ramchandani

March 9, 2023

BNP Paribas Open •First round • completed

See draw

J. ThompsonvsG. Monfils

Playing his first tournament since the ATP Masters in Canada in August, former world No 6 Gael Monfils, of France, went down to Australia’s Jordan Thompson in straight sets in the first round of the Indian Wells Masters at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Wednesday.

Thompson, ranked No 87 in the world, won 6-3, 6-1 over the 36-year-old Frenchman to move into the second round where he will face second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“I want to live my final years (on tour) well” – Monfils

Speaking after the loss, Monfils said he did not adapt to the conditions quickly enough which resulted in 33 unforced errors.

“It’s good to come back, to feel like a real tennis player, even if it didn’t go the way I wanted. I didn’t adapt quickly enough to the conditions. Jordan was tough to play. It’s a new experience. We have to get back to work,” Monfils said after his match.

“I come back because I like to play tennis. But the end is there, it must be said. I have to set myself fairly high goals so that I really motivate myself to play. The goal is to go to the Olympics next year. In fact, the real point is that I want to like it. I want to make sacrifices, but some a little less honestly. If it’s going to play a tournament to play a tournament, maybe I won’t go anymore. And I would even prefer to stop. I want to live my last years well,” the Frenchman said.

Indian Wells Masters, other first-round matches (Indian Wells Tennis Garden, hard, USD 8,800,000):