Roland-Garros: Marathon-man Monfils provides delirious night in Paris with truly astonishing victory over Sebastian Baez

On the 40-year anniversary of Yannick Noah’s Roland-Garros victory, Gael Monfils has written another chapter of pure sporting ecstasy into the French history books upon the hallowed turf of Court Philippe-Chatrier.

In scarcely believable scenes, the 36-year-old veteran – still on his way back to full form and fitness after months away from tour with injury – defeated Argentine clay-court specialist Sebastian Baez 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 in truly astonishing fashion, after a match that lasted three hours and 47 minutes.

Those still left inside the stadium past midnight, when Monfils finally clinched victory, were left with the unshakable sense they had been a part of something that the tennis world – and certainly French sporting folklore – will retell for years to come. And to think, all this after the Frenchman had only won one professional match in 2023, that sole victory coming on the lower rungs of the Challenger Tour in April.

Monfils activity in 2023 before Roland-Garros

• Indian Wells, lost to Johnson 6-3, 6-1
• Phoenix (ch.), lost to Shevchenko 6-4, 6-7, 6-3
• Miami, retired vs. Humbert (3-3 ret.)
• Banja Luka, lost to Lehecka, 6-4, 6-3
• Ostrava (ch). beat Furness, 6-3, 2-0 ret.
• Ostrava (ch.) lost to Dzumhur, 6-3, 6-4
• Aix-en-Provence (ch.) lost to Murray 6-3, 6-2
• Lyon, lost to Cachin, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4

Monfils “didn’t expect to win”

“Honestly, I didn’t expect to win this match,” Monfils said after the match, at almost 2:00 am local time. “I surprised myself. I was not sure to handle this level, and even to upgrade it at this level of pressure. I was cramping at the end, big part because of the nerves. I hope to have a good night, a good day of recover.

“I practiced with him last week. For me he was a monster. It’s one of the greatest moments of sport I lived.”

An astounding Roland-Garros story for the ages

The tale of the tape really came in a phenomenal fifth-set fightback from Gael.

Having led by two sets to one, and looking set for comfortable passage into the second round of his home major, Monfils’ well-documented recent physical issues appeared to resurface once again in the fourth, as Baez took full advantage to comfortably take the stanza 6-1.

That trajectory continued with Baez moving a double break up in the decider, as the Frenchman’s brave efforts at Roland-Garros looked set to end prematurely. Yet, at 4-0 down (and facing break point at 30-40 on his own serve), the indomitable Monfils achieved the scarcely believable, harnessing the energy of a rapturous Parisian crowd to turn the set around, twice breaking back to level at 4-4.

In a cruel twist for the Frenchman, he was broken straight back in the ninth game, with Baez earning the chance to serve for the match at 5-4.

Yet, with the drama and noise decibels already sky-high, Monfils – again – clawed to safety with some breathtaking shot-making and agility to regain parity. From 5-5, he never looked back. Nudging ahead for a 6-5 lead, the former US Open semi-finalist then turned the screw in the final game to seal the decisive break and win a match that will live long in the memory of all who witnessed it.

Perhaps most extraordinarily of all was the fact that Monfils was now visibly running purely on fumes and adrenaline. He could barely walk by the end of this encounter, physically limping as he saw one match point go begging, before finally getting over the line by taking the second with a stunning backhand winner down the line that clipped the net before dropping in and sending the home crowd into raptures.

As this latest epic in an already remarkable Roland-Garros came to its conclusion in the early hours of the following day, fans, journalists and all others bearing witness to yet another feather in the storied cap of tennis’ greatest showman will take some time to process quite what a special occasion this was. On home turf for surely one of his final French Open campaigns, fighting the unwinnable battle against grandfather time, and still succeeding in pulling off perhaps one of his greatest spectacles, this will be one to savour for the Frenchman – not least as he is playing his first French Open as a new father.

Yet, when the dust eventually settles, things do not get any easier for Monfils. The Frenchman will play rapidly rising young Dane Holger Rune, the No 6 seed, in the second round. While the biggest question marks around Monfils will be his physical state, a fresh-faced Rune will no doubt enter that one as a heavy favourite.

Nonetheless, the Dane should brace himself for a stern challenge amid another truly unique atmosphere, as Monfils himself alluded to in his parting thoughts ahead of that encounter.

“We’re going to try to have the same party for the second round.”

In that case, one best get the France’s finest champagne at the ready. Paris looks set for another dizzying date with arguably its best-loved tennis player – Gael Monfils, the marathon man.

Paris (Grand Slam), all first-round results (Stade Roland-Garros, clay, EUR 49.600.000, most recent results first):

• Yannick Hanfmann (LL) beat Thiago Monteiro: 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-7 (2), 6-4
• Grigor Dimitrov (28) beat Timofey Skatov (Q): 6-0, 6-3, 6-2
• Taylor Fritz (9) beat Michael Mmoh: 6-2, 6-1, 6-1
• Arthur Rinderknech beat Richard Gasquet: 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4)
• Guido Pella beat Quentin Halys: 6-4, 6-7 (7), 2-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4)
• Holger Rune beat Christopher Eubanks: 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2
• Francisco Cerundolo (23) beat Jaume Munar: 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1
• Emil Ruusuvuori beat Gregoire Barrere: 6-2, 6-7 (7), 5-7, 6-1, 6-4
• Thiago Seyboth Wild (Q) beat Daniil Medvedev (2): 7-6 (5), 6-7 (6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
• Giulio Zeppieri (Q) beat Alexander Bublik: 6-0, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
• Alexander Zverev (22) beat Lloyd Harris: 7-6 (6), 7-6, 6-1
• Alex Molcan beat Hugo Gaston (WC): 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-4
• Max Purcell beat Jordan Thompson: 7-5, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
• Andrea Vavassori (Q) beat Miomir Kecmanovic (31): 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (8), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (9)
• Genaro Alberto Olivieri (Q) beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (WC): 7-6 (3), 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1
• Yoshihito Nishioka (27) beat J.J. Wolf: 1-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
• Casper Ruud (4) beat Elias Ymer (Q): 6-4, 6-3, 6-2
• Nicolas Jarry beat Hugo Dellien: 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
• Tommy Paul (16) beat Dominic Stricker (LL): 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
• Jannik Sinner (8) beat Alexandre Muller: 6-1, 6-4, 6-1
• Luca Van Assche beat Marco Cecchinato: 6-1, 6-1, 6-3
• Zhizhen Zhang beat Dusan Lajovic: 6-1, 4-1 ret.
• Frances Tiafoe (12) beat Filip Krajinovic: 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
• Daniel Altmaier beat Marc-Andrea Huesler: 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
• Carlos Alcaraz (1) beat Flavio Cobolli (Q): 6-0, 6-2, 7-5
• Jiri Lehecka beat Jan-Lennard Struff (21): 7-5, 1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
• Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (29) beat Arthur Fils (WC): 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
• Marcos Giron beat Hamad Medjedovic (Q): 6-0, 6-2, 1-6, 6-0
• Pedro Cachin beat Dominic Thiem: 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (1), 4-6, 6-2
• Borna Coric (15) beat Federico Coria: 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3
• Thiago Agustin Tirante beat Botic van de Zandschulp (25): 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
• Novak Djokovic (3) beat Aleksandar Kovacevic: 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (1)
• Taro Daniel beat Christopher O’Connell: 6-0, 6-2, 6-4
• Stan Wawrinka beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas: 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (2), 1-6, 6-4
• Fabio Fognini beat Felix Auger-Aliassime (10): 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
• Roberto Bautista Agut (19) beat Yibing Wu: 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-1
• Aslan Karatsev (Q) beat Alexei Popyrin: 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-2
• Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat Jack Draper: 6-4, 1-0 ret.
• Alex De Minaur (18) beat Ilya Ivashka: 6-1, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
• Juan Pablo Varillas beat Juncheng Shang (Q): 4-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1
• Diego Schwartzman beat Bernabe Zapata Miralles (32): 1-6, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-0, 6-4
• Cameron Norrie (14) beat Benoit Paire (WC): 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
• Denis Shapovalov (26) beat Brandon Nakashima: 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3
• Lucas Pouille (Q) beat Jurij Rodionov (LL): 6-2, 6-4, 6-3
• Ugo Humbert beat Adrian Mannarino: 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
• Alexander Shevchenko beat Oscar Otte: 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (2)
• Lorenzo Sonego beat Ben Shelton (30): 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
• Andrey Rublev (7) beat Laslo Djere: 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
• Corentin Moutet beat Arthur Cazaux (WC): 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
• Lorenzo Musetti (17) beat Mikael Ymer: 7-5, 6-2, 6-4
• Roberto Carballes Baena beat Emilio Nava (Q): 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-2
• Matteo Arnaldi beat Daniel Elahi Galan: 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2
• Sebastian Korda (24) beat Mackenzie McDonald: 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
• Nuno Borges beat John Isner: 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (9)
• Jason Kubler beat Facundo Diaz Acosta (LL): 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
• Stefanos Tsitsipas (5) beat Jiri Vesely: 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7)
• Marton Fucsovics beat Hugo Grenier (WC): 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
• Thanasi Kokkinakis (WC) beat Daniel Evans (20): 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
• Radu Albot (Q) beat Patrick Kypson (WC): 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
• Karen Khachanov (11) beat Constant Lestienne: 3-6, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3
• Hubert Hurkacz (13) beat David Goffin: 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
• Tallon Griekspoor beat Pedro Martinez (Q): 6-4, 2-6, 0-6, 7-5, 6-3
• Sebastian Ofner (Q) beat Maxime Cressy: 6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-2

You might also like this

Frenchman Monfils completes line-up for return of UTS in Los Angeles

tennis majors

‘I’ll try not to be the reason I lose’ – Former Roland-Garros runner-up Coco Gauff on positivity and dealing with pressure

tennis majors

Rune ready for French Open: “I’ve had the matches I needed to be as well-prepared as possible”

tennis majors

Roland-Garros: Qualifier Seyboth Wild stuns Medvedev in huge shake-up for men’s draw

tennis majors

Monfils to skip Australian Open to become eligible for protected ranking, keeps eye on Paris Olympics

tennis majors

Rune ready for French Open: “I’ve had the matches I needed to be as well-prepared as possible”

tennis majors