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Gael Monfils of France reacts during his Men’s Singles second round match against Marius Copil of Romania on day four of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on in Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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Gael Monfils of France reacts during his Men’s Singles second round match against Marius Copil of Romania on day four of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on in Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Widely known as one of the most entertaining tennis players on the tour, Gael Monfils has had a chequered 2020 season. After making it to the fourth round of the Australian Open, Monfils won two back-to-back titles at Open Sud de France Tennis Tournament and the Rotterdam Open.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK -: Gael Monfils of France celebrates victory after his Men’s Singles first round match against Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain on day two of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
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However, after the tour’s resumption in August, Monfils failed to win a single match. The world No.11 crashed out of Roland Garros in the first round and quit from the opening match at the Vienna Open because of a right shoulder injury. The Frenchman subsequently pulled out of the remaining tournaments in the 2020 season to recuperate.
Gael Monfils names top-three sports players
Recently, during a media interaction with ATP, Monfils revealed his top-3 sports people across the globe. Being passionate about various sports, Monfils picked NBA superstar, Carmelo Anthony, as his favourite athlete. Part of Portland Trail Blazers, Anthony has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team member six times in his career.
“My favourite is Carmelo Anthony. You know I really love Carmelo Anthony, I have a big fan since day one. I saw him actually,” said Monfils.
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Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony (00) warms up before a NBA basketball. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Next up, Monfils picked his friend and French Judoka legend, Teddy Riner, for the second spot on his list. The tennis star hailed Riner’s mentality. Riner is the only judo player who holds two Olympic gold medals and has won an astonishing ten World Championships gold medals.
“One of my good friend I really like is Teddy Riner, from judo. His mentality and you know whatever he is achieving is amazing and unreal. So definitely him,” reveals Monfils.
The last athlete on the Frenchman’s list was the former football player, Thierry Henry, who is currently the manager of a Major League Soccer club. Monfils talked about having grown up watching the adept striker and his admiration for Thierry Henry. The football star won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2000 and clinched the French Player of the Year a record five times.
“The third is past, but still coaching is Thierry Henry. We really love Thierry Henry. I grew up watching him. He is a good friend. I love this guy on the court, outside the court,” said Monfils.
