Gael Monfils played his final Indian Wells match in the California desert on Friday, losing 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 to Felix Auger-Aliassime. Frances Tiafoe is sad that his friend is about to enter his final season on tour, but he’s extremely happy to be carrying the torch as one of tennis’s finest entertainers.
Speaking at a press conference after Monfils’ 6-4, 6-2 win over Jenson Brooksby, Tiafoe confirmed he had spoken to the legendary Frenchman about the topic before taking the court on Friday.
“We discussed this before today’s game,” Tiafoe said. “He said, ‘Man, when I’m done, you’re the guy, you’re the fun guy.’ We’re really good friends.”
Tiafoe and Monfils do share similar stories and similar vibes, even though they were born ten years apart.
“He’s such a legend, man,” Tiafoe said of the 39-year-old Frenchman, who will retire at the end of this season. “Obviously [showmanship] Not something we try to put on. We are the only ones enjoying the game. We just love this game. We just try to spread joy. ”
Tiafoe makes perfect sense because he puts things into perspective.
“There’s so much going on, so many people going through something, all over the world, and you see entertainment where people are actually doing what they love at a high level,” he said. “Those things are back, the energy is back.
“We all love what we do. Coming from humble beginnings, we just go out there and try to compete at the highest level, show joy and make people enjoy what we do.
“I’m going to miss him a lot, but we’ll keep in touch no matter what, so it’ll be great.”
