Monfils reveals how close he was to retirement in 2022

World No 37 Gael Monfils has revealed just how close he was to retiring in 2022.

The Frenchman, speaking in a conversation with Jeremy Chardy and Ugo Humbert on the UTS podcast ‘All on the Table’, shared how family matters, plus struggles with injury took a toll on him mentally.

“I just wanted to stop,” said Monfils, of the period in his career.

“I was happy with my career” – Monfils

The 37-year-old revealed that his most challenging times mentally came in mid-2022.

“I had genuine doubts. In fact, just before I seriously injured myself, there was a very serious accident in my family, involving someone very close to me. It really distressed me. I’ve never said that.

“At the beginning of the year, my wife announced that she was pregnant as well. There was a lot going on. And then I hurt myself, but badly. I ruptured the arch of my foot. Seriously. It was hard, I remember.”

Monfils explained that when surgery was suggested, he wasn’t sure he’d have the strength to come back from the setback.

“I was 36-and-a-half years old. Deep inside I was not sure I had it in me to make sacrifices again. Physically, I could work on the upper body. But I was disgusted and I didn’t do it.”

However, one thing kept the veteran going: his daughter.

“The only thing that kept me going in 2022-2023 was my daughter. This was great news. Elina was also present, with my family, to bring the fire back.”

UTS a turning point for Monfils

Surprisingly, the new tennis format, UTS, also played a big role in pulling Monfils back from the brink of retirement.

He shared how a call from Chardy changed everything for him one day.

“You were one of the only ones calling,” said Monfils of Chardy. “Jeremy is an energetic man. He was feeling me for UTS. I was so far from it. I said, ‘Bro, I don’t know’.  He said: ‘Stop your bullshit. You’re a monster. You’ll be back. You were designed for this format.’

“I asked for time. I had doubts. I told myself I was happy with my career, I was happy with what I’ve done. 36-and-a-half, I was going to have the most beautiful thing soon to happen, you know, at the end of 2022, my daughter. I didn’t know if in 2023 I would want to deal with that. 

“If you mix personal life, Elina’s pain, I thought: ‘You can’t stop like this. OK, you’re in a hole now, but you’re lucky in many aspects.’ And you see, from the moment I started telling myself I was going to make sacrifices again, seeing the big picture and something clicked.  My injured relative felt better. The prediction for my long-time absence came from 12 months to six.”

Monfils’ journey back to full health was not a linear one, with another injury coming in 2023. However, an audacious goal kept the Frenchman locked in on working hard.

“What pushed me also is if you wanna be back, aim at something big. The Olympics! At the beginning people said I was crazy. I was No 390. But you have to aim high. And I was happy to see you play well. It was a booster. Let’s get in the training and help increase the level,” explained Monfils. 

“Jim knows me. When I say I want my ticket for the Olympics, I do mean it. Even if I started from the bottom, my close ones knew it also. I play almost every week. I surprised even myself. It’s so good to discover a new self at 37-and-a-half years old.”

Monfils faces Thiago Seyboth Wild in the first round of Roland-Garros on Monday in Paris