By Vanessa Cort

ANYONE who knows me well knows that I am an avid (lawn) tennis fan, though the sport is now played on hard and clay surfaces, as well as on grass, where it originally began.
I watch tennis throughout the year, not just the Grand Slams – Australian, French (Roland-Garros and American – though these are the biggest and most gruelling tournaments. This is especially true for the men, who have to play up to five-set matches instead of the usual two or three-setters.
Over the years, I have also followed many careers, and watched the sport become more accessible to people of colour, with players like African-American Arthur Ashe and the Williams sisters making an indelible mark.
I have watched the ‘Big Four’ play— Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray— and witnessed their retirement, with the exception of Djokovic, who continues to compete.
But one player who has not achieved the trophy count of these men but has carved a name for himself as one of the most entertaining and gifted players in the sport is the black French player, Gaël Monfils.
A trailblazer and role model to younger players, Monfils is noted for making and returning seemingly impossible shots. His athleticism, aerial ability and spontaneity have made him a crowd favourite.
In recent years, I have watched him mature and play some of the best tennis of his life, winning matches he seemed destined to lose. On these occasions, he was urged on by all the spectators, but especially the French fans, who love him.
Monfils has achieved the ranking of World Number Six men’s singles player, and while he has never won a Grand Slam, he progressed to two semi-finals in the French Open, currently underway, and the American Open.
There can be no doubt that this exuberant sportsman, who will retire after this year’s French (Roland-Garros) tournament, has both inspired and paved the way for young players of colour.
Up-and-coming black French players, Arthur Fils and teenager Moise Kouame, are certainly following in his footsteps. And other black players like Francis Tiafoe, Coco Guaff, Taylor Townsend and Alycia Parks, all entered the sport when Monfils was in his heyday and thrilling crowds.
Although he has never lifted a trophy at his beloved French Open tournament, Monfils brings a heightened level of excitement to every game he plays and ‘feeds off’ the support of fans, raising the level of his game to give of his best even when clearly exhausted.
Married to Ukrainian tennis star, Elina Svitolina and now the father of a young son, the French legend has been hailed by his wife, who shed tears at his impending retirement, as a wonderful father.
He told Roland-Garros Magazine that he has always wanted to work in finance, and can see himself as a “wealth manager”, taking courses, “to find my place and start this new chapter in my life”.
Monfils leaves tennis after more than two decades, and, at 39, is the oldest player in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP)
Tour history, to be ranked in the top 100. He is also the oldest player to win an ATP tour title, which he did last year, and holds the all-time record for the most Grand Slam wins by a Frenchman.
Two Thursdays ago, he celebrated his career at ‘Gael and Friends’, on the Roland-Garros Phillipe-Chatriere court. It was an evening of tennis, music and entertainment, attended by several other players and a sold-out crowd.
Last Wednesday, players and fans at Roland-Garros paid an emotional tribute to one of the most exciting players to ever grace the sport, with flashbacks of his spectacular plays and wins over the course of his remarkable career.
He was defeated last week by fellow Frenchman, Hugo Gaston, after recovering from two sets down to win the next two sets in his inimitable style, before succumbing in the final set.
For the last time, Gael Monfils treated the French and other fans present to an enthralling match, winning him once more the enthusiastic applause of an appreciative crowd.
He will be remembered for his skill, athleticism and showmanship, but most of all for the joy he brought to each game of the sport of tennis, which he loved so much.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.