Roland-Garros: Marathon-man Monfils gives the French a delirious night in Paris with truly astonishing victory over Sebastian Baez

Gael Monfils beat Sebastian Baez in five extraordinary sets to give a rapturous Parisian crowd a night to remember as La Marseillaise rang around the stadium

31 May 2023

Monfils wins at Roland-Garros 2023 © AI / Reuters / Panoramic

Jamie Malachy

Writer

French Open 2023 Men's Singles •First round • completed

See draw

G. MonfilsvsS. Baez

On the 40th year anniversary of Yannick Noah’s Roland-Garros victory, Gael Monfils has written another French chapter of pure sporting ecstasy into history upon the hallowed turf of Court Philippe-Chatrier.

In scarcely believable scenes, the 36-year-old veteran – still on his way back to full form and fitness after months away from tour with injury – defeated clay-court specialist Sebastian Baez 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 in truly astonishing fashion in Paris, after a match that lasted three hours and 47 minutes.

Those left inside the stadium past midnight when Monfils finally clinched victory were left with a sense they had seen something the tennis world will be talking about for years to come. All this after the Frenchman had only won one professional match in 2023, on the Challenger Tour.

Monfils activity in 2023 before Roland-Garros

• Indian Wells, lost to Johnson 6-3, 6-1
• Phoenix (ch.), lost to Shevchenko 6-4, 6-7, 6-3
• Miami, retired vs. Humbert (3-3 ret.)
• Banja Luka, lost to Lehecka, 6-4, 6-3
• Ostrava (ch). beat Furness, 6-3, 2-0 ret.
• Ostrava (ch.) lost to Dzumhur, 6-3, 6-4
• Aix-en-Provence (ch.) lost to Murray 6-3, 6-2
• Lyon, lost to Cachin, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4

Monfils “didn’t expect to win”

“Honestly, I didn’t expect to win this match,” Monfils said after the match, at almost 2:00 am local time. “I surprised myself. I was not sure to handle this level, and even to upgrade it at this level of pressure. I was cramping at the end, big part because of the nerves. I hope to have a good night, a good day of recover.

“I practiced with him last week. For me he was a monster. It’s one of the greatest moments of sport I lived.”

An astounding Roland-Garros story for the ages

Having led by two sets to one, Monfils’ well-documented recent physical issues seemed to have resurfaced once again in the fourth, as Baez stepped up to the plate and comfortably took the set 6-1.

That trajectory continued with Baez moving a double break up in the decider. But, at 4-0 down (and 30-40 on his own serve), the indomitable Gael Monfils achieved the unbelievable, harnessing the energy of a rapturous Parisian crowd to turn the set around, breaking back twice to level at 4-4.

Gael Monfils, Roland-Garros 2023 – © AI / Reuters / Panoramic

In a cruel twist for the Frenchman, he was broken straight back in the ninth game, with Baez generating the chance to serve for the match at 5-4.

But Monfils – again – clawed to safety with some breathtaking shot-making and agility. At 5-5, Monfils never looked back. Serving for 6-5, the former US Open semi-finalist turned the screw to get the decisive break and win a match that will live long in the memory of all who witnessed it.

Perhaps most extraordinary of all was that Monfils could barely walk by the end of the match, physically limping as he saw one match point go begging, before finally getting over the line by taking the second.

This will be one to savour for the Frenchman, playing his first French Open as a new father. But when the dust settles, things do not get any easier for Monfils who will play Dane Holger Rune, the No 6 seed, next. Rune had better be prepared, as Monfils left the hungry Parisian crowd with this tantalising nugget:

“We’re going to try to have the same party for the second round.”

Paris (Grand Slam), all first-round results (Stade Roland-Garros, clay, EUR 49.600.000, most recent results first):

Yannick Hanfmann (LL) beat Thiago Monteiro: 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-7 (2), 6-4
Grigor Dimitrov (28) beat Timofey Skatov (Q): 6-0, 6-3, 6-2
Taylor Fritz (9) beat Michael Mmoh: 6-2, 6-1, 6-1
Arthur Rinderknech beat Richard Gasquet: 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4)
Guido Pella beat Quentin Halys: 6-4, 6-7 (7), 2-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4)
Holger Rune beat Christopher Eubanks: 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2
Francisco Cerundolo (23) beat Jaume Munar: 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1
Emil Ruusuvuori beat Gregoire Barrere: 6-2, 6-7 (7), 5-7, 6-1, 6-4
Thiago Seyboth Wild (Q) beat Daniil Medvedev (2): 7-6 (5), 6-7 (6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Giulio Zeppieri (Q) beat Alexander Bublik: 6-0, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
Alexander Zverev (22) beat Lloyd Harris: 7-6 (6), 7-6, 6-1
Alex Molcan beat Hugo Gaston (WC): 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-4
Max Purcell beat Jordan Thompson: 7-5, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
Andrea Vavassori (Q) beat Miomir Kecmanovic (31): 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (8), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (9)
Genaro Alberto Olivieri (Q) beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (WC): 7-6 (3), 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1
Yoshihito Nishioka (27) beat J.J. Wolf: 1-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
Casper Ruud (4) beat Elias Ymer (Q): 6-4, 6-3, 6-2
Nicolas Jarry beat Hugo Dellien: 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Tommy Paul (16) beat Dominic Stricker (LL): 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
Jannik Sinner (8) beat Alexandre Muller: 6-1, 6-4, 6-1
Luca Van Assche beat Marco Cecchinato: 6-1, 6-1, 6-3
Zhizhen Zhang beat Dusan Lajovic: 6-1, 4-1 ret.
Frances Tiafoe (12) beat Filip Krajinovic: 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Daniel Altmaier beat Marc-Andrea Huesler: 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Carlos Alcaraz (1) beat Flavio Cobolli (Q): 6-0, 6-2, 7-5
Jiri Lehecka beat Jan-Lennard Struff (21): 7-5, 1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (29) beat Arthur Fils (WC): 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Marcos Giron beat Hamad Medjedovic (Q): 6-0, 6-2, 1-6, 6-0
Pedro Cachin beat Dominic Thiem: 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (1), 4-6, 6-2
Borna Coric (15) beat Federico Coria: 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3
Thiago Agustin Tirante beat Botic van de Zandschulp (25): 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Novak Djokovic (3) beat Aleksandar Kovacevic: 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (1)
Taro Daniel beat Christopher O’Connell: 6-0, 6-2, 6-4
Stan Wawrinka beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas: 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (2), 1-6, 6-4
Fabio Fognini beat Felix Auger-Aliassime (10): 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
Roberto Bautista Agut (19) beat Yibing Wu: 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-1
Aslan Karatsev (Q) beat Alexei Popyrin: 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-2
Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat Jack Draper: 6-4, 1-0 ret.
Alex De Minaur (18) beat Ilya Ivashka: 6-1, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
Juan Pablo Varillas beat Juncheng Shang (Q): 4-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1
Diego Schwartzman beat Bernabe Zapata Miralles (32): 1-6, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-0, 6-4
Cameron Norrie (14) beat Benoit Paire (WC): 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Denis Shapovalov (26) beat Brandon Nakashima: 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3
Lucas Pouille (Q) beat Jurij Rodionov (LL): 6-2, 6-4, 6-3
Ugo Humbert beat Adrian Mannarino: 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
Alexander Shevchenko beat Oscar Otte: 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (2)
Lorenzo Sonego beat Ben Shelton (30): 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Andrey Rublev (7) beat Laslo Djere: 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Corentin Moutet beat Arthur Cazaux (WC): 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
Lorenzo Musetti (17) beat Mikael Ymer: 7-5, 6-2, 6-4
Roberto Carballes Baena beat Emilio Nava (Q): 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-2
Matteo Arnaldi beat Daniel Elahi Galan: 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2
Sebastian Korda (24) beat Mackenzie McDonald: 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
Nuno Borges beat John Isner: 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (9)
Jason Kubler beat Facundo Diaz Acosta (LL): 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Stefanos Tsitsipas (5) beat Jiri Vesely: 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7)
Marton Fucsovics beat Hugo Grenier (WC): 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
Thanasi Kokkinakis (WC) beat Daniel Evans (20): 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Radu Albot (Q) beat Patrick Kypson (WC): 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
Karen Khachanov (11) beat Constant Lestienne: 3-6, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3
Hubert Hurkacz (13) beat David Goffin: 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Tallon Griekspoor beat Pedro Martinez (Q): 6-4, 2-6, 0-6, 7-5, 6-3
Sebastian Ofner (Q) beat Maxime Cressy: 6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-2