By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday Could 30, 2025
Paris – Gael Monfils realized the exhausting method simply what number of enhancements Jack Draper has made to his recreation.
The 38-year-old Frenchman threw all the pieces he had at Draper in an epic Paris night time session on Thursday, and will solely handle to take a set from the 23-year-old menace.
After the match, Monfils mentioned he has immense respect for Draper’s recreation.
“I really like this participant,” Monfils mentioned. “I really like the best way he performs, as a result of he performs a really quick backhand. When Jack was younger, he actually had one of the best backhand.
However he is progressed loads on his forehand now. Now he actually produces pure energy together with his forehand, and he manages to essentially roll the ball alongside the road. He is a left-hander who goes very quick alongside the road. That is not frequent, and he strikes rather well on the court docket.”
Monfils says that along with the forehand, Draper can be returning higher.
“The place he is actually progressed is that he actually returns rather well,” he mentioned. “He is removed from the baseline, and the ball’s all the time in on the proper pace, the precise course, and he is made an amazing quantity of progress in that regard.
“So a Jack who’s feeling very self-confident like that could be very troublesome to maneuver.”
That is what our sport is all about.❤️#draper #monfils #rolandgarros pic.twitter.com/OcA0gp0EDb
— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 29, 2025
In a bodily encounter on gradual clay in night time situations, Draper stayed the course and dealt with Monfils and the rowdy Parisian crowd. It was extra proof that the fifth-ranked Brit is prepared for prime time.
“Each level was exhausting,” Monfils mentioned. “No straightforward factors. He was actually returning the balls very properly. He actually performed his recreation properly. Actually, I could not do loads. I performed my forehand down the road. It went out. And he performed properly after that.”
Not the tip end result Monfils needed, however anybody who watched the match is aware of that Monfils has nothing to hold his head about. To play like that at age 38? In opposition to a peaking energy 15 years his junior? Chapeau, Lamonf.
On TNT Chris Eubanks known as the second set the most effective units of tennis he had ever seen.
“An amazing night time. An amazing match,” Monfils mentioned. “Above all, I used to be completely happy, due to course he is feeling very self-confident, however I did handle to, you realize, tease him just a little bit.”
