Gael Monfils and Grigor Dimitrov have been battling each other on the court for over 15 years (Image: Getty)
Gael Monfils and Grigor Dimitrov have enjoyed a long history in together – which has even seen them share a love letter. The Frenchman has enjoyed a 21-year professional career in the sport where’s routinely been regarded as the most entertaining player on the ATP Tour. The Bulgarian – who entered the professional circuit in 2007 and was given the nickname of ‘Baby Fed’ due to the similarlity of his play to has remained a consistent player for over 15 years.
The duo have enjoyed a close friendship during their time in the sport which has also inevitably seen them battle each other on the court with Monfils, 38, possessing a 4-2 record against the 33-year-old. Dimitrov has the opportunity to claim a third career win against his friend when they face each other on Tuesday in the Round of 32 of the Indian Wells Masters.
The winner of their match will take on the winner of vs Denis Shapovalov, with the Spaniard currently the reigning tournament champion. Ahead of their tasty encounter, Express Sport looks back at their decade-plus long friendship, previous matches and how they both faced the wrath of seven-time Grand Slam champion-turned commentator John McEnroe.
McEnroe criticism
The American certainly isn’t afraid to speak his mind and he did just that when picking apart Monfils’ performance against in the US Open semi-finals in 2016. The Frenchman – who was 0-12 against the Serbian at the time – appeared at times to hit the ball with not his usual fervour, leading McEnroe to question his professionalism and say on the broadcast: “You can’t support that.”
Monfils turned it up a notch during the match and fought back from two sets down to force a fourth set but ending up losing 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-2. Following his loss, Monfils admitted that he was deeply hurt by McEnroe’s questioning of his professionalism. “I’m very sad to learn that such a legend criticised me,” he said. “At the end what I can say to John is, you know John, I want to be the best. It’s tough, you know. I try my best. I’m sorry if you think I’m unprofessional but I guess I’m working, I’m learning.
Dimitrov also faced the searing words of the tennis icon after his disastrous performance to in the 2016 US Open quarter-final. The Bulgarian was easily bested 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 by the Brit and admitted that he made a ton of mistakes in the match. McEnroe pulled no punches about Dimitrov’s showing, or lack thereof, as he slammed the tennis star: “He didn’t show any heart, any willingness to dig in and try to battle.”
The tennis icon certainly wasn’t afraid to speak his mind on the two stars in the past (Image: Getty)
Love letter
Despite having competed at the Rolex Paris Masters in 2023, the tennis duo were able to squeeze in time for an off-the-court competition when they participated in the Lexus ATP Head2Head Scavenger Hunt. After working through the treasure hunt, Dimitrov penned a love letter to Monfils emotional enough to make some weep.
The Bulgarian’s message read: “Dear Gael, So they say love is a bad thing to have in tennis, but this is all I have for you. You won today, but what can I do? I cannot possibly stay mad at you. All my love, G”.
Suspended game
The duo last shared the court against each other at last year where Dimitrov earned a straight sets victory of 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 against Monfils but it wasn’t without drama. Their match had to be temporarily suspended after the Frenchman slid into a line judge when attempting to return a forehand from his opponent.
While the line judge remained unhurt, Monfils remained on the turf as he writhed in pain while holding his left knee. The Paris native had suffered with injuries for the past two years with fans left worried about his well-being as a physio made their way onto the court to help Monfils. Thankfully, he was able to continue the match but couldn’t do enough to stop Dimitrov earning the win at the All England Club.
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McEnroe praise
It hasn’t been all negative from McEnroe who offered up heavy praise to both players recently. During the 2024 edition of the US Open, Alcaraz and Djokovic were heavy favourites for the crown at Flushing Meadows but the New Yorker claimed not to sleep on Dimitrov’s chances of claiming his maiden Grand Slam.
While he’s yet to reach a major final in his career, McEnroe said that the 33-year-old “has a lot to be proud of” and admitted that while he may be past his prime, he remains a dangerous out for any player in the tournament. “Winning a major at this point would be a big ask, but I think he’s still dangerous,” the American said.
Monfils is another who hasn’t played in a Grand Slam final but his style of play, remarkable athleticism, and tremendous popularity saw McEnroe hail the Frenchman as “one of the three most talented guys never to win a major”. His comments came after the 38-year-old claimed a upset victory over earlier this year.
“I can’t believe Monfils is playing this well this late in his career,” a surprised McEnroe said. “But to me he’s one of the three most talented guys never to win a major. Him, [Nick] Kyrgios and [Alexander] Zverev, to me, are the three most (talented) and he’s played as if he believes he has a shot. I can’t believe he’s playing this well this late.”