Former No. 6 in the world Gael Monfils has admitted that he will never limit himself to tennis because he has other interests and wants to learn new things.
Monfils is dedicated to his sport, although he has stated that he also has a personal life.
“People sometimes say, ‘You play tennis, so stick to tennis.’ Yes, I am a good tennis player, but I have hobbies. They want to put us in a box, but for most of us we can become great at other things as well.
“The most important word for me is ‘discipline’,” Monfils told L’Equipe.
“I know I have my 6–7 hours of training a day, so I organize my life around that. I take discipline from my parents.
“My parents always taught me to pursue my passion, but also to let go, to see that life is good if you are curious and want to learn.
“People see me as a showman, which is great and that’s who I am, but they forget that (the athletes) are human beings with emotions and families.”
Monfils is in good form
Monfils had a sluggish start to the season.
He’s currently ranked No. 19 in the world, and he has shown a couple of strong performances. Monfils recently advanced to the Metz semifinals and finished second in Sofia.
Monfils will compete in the Tie Break Tens Dubai on October 22.
“This is such a great addition to the Dubai sporting calendar and we’re really excited to see some of the world’s best players come to showcase this exciting game.
“Tennis fans will enjoy the game as they’ve not seen it before here and I’m confident the sport will attract some new fans as they enjoy this fast-paced evening of sporting fun,” Jimmy Poon, the tournament director for the Tie Breaks Tens, said as per reports on Tennis Up To Date.