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"I'm not on fire, I'm sad": Monfils explains why he is putting an end to his season

2020-10-27T15:29:47.219Z


After his retirement in Vienna on Monday, the French tennis player decided to give up the Rolex Paris Masters. He never managed to recover m


“I will not come to Paris.

Better not to go there than to go without conviction… ”A few hours after his abandonment in Vienna against Carreno-Busta, Gaël Monfils sounded the end of the season.

Flamboyant at the start of the year, the world No. 11 had not won a single match (0 out of 4) since returning to the circuit.

He delivered himself frankly this Tuesday during a small virtual press point.

"I do not have good feelings, I do not play tennis well, I have a discomfort in the service which had already earned me a lot of problems after the US Open last year, he explains. .

You had to cut the negative spiral, recharge your batteries, take a little time to start training again for the Australian Open earlier.

It's all mental.

I tense up, I can't relax myself, I'm contracted and I hurt myself while playing… ”Day and night with its first three months of 2020, punctuated by two titles (Montpellier and Rotterdam) and a half in Dubai against Djokovic.

“It's all the harder mentally because it was one of my best seasons, he blows.

This is the first time that I felt so strong

tennis

and physically at the same time.

I had assembled all the ends.

The fact of cutting a little, then for a long time, the fear of not knowing when we would resume… All of this made my level drop and my recovery did not help me.

I lost confidence right away.

When you are in a tournament, you are in a sort of bubble, impassive.

The confinement changed me psychologically like everyone else, made me see things differently and I did not come back as strong in my head.

"

"After confinement, I was a lot less fun"

After the Australian Open, Monfils had stopped working with his mental coach.

"I won't hide from you that I called him back quite a few times," he smiles.

I can't visualize myself well, be positive, I get frustrated as soon as I fail, I no longer manage to impose my rhythm and I only suffer.

I have no fire, I am sad.

I can't be happy because I can't produce, externalize, let go.

After confinement, I was a lot less fun, very focused on performance in training, which never happens to me.

Wanting to be a perfectionist too much, you arrive in a match, you double fault and behind you make 50 ... "

Now on vacation, the French n ° 1 is waiting to know the health conditions of the trip to Melbourne.

“The situation changes every week,” he observes.

I even had in mind to go there at the end of November, do my fortnight and my preseason there, but it's very complicated.

In addition, Elina

(Editor's note: Svitolina, his companion)

does not see herself leaving so early, so I have to review this option.

But we will try to find a solution… ”

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2020-10-27

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