(Where are the) Fabulous French Men... Monfils, Tsonga, Gasquet?
As the ATP and WTA Tours head toward the clay court season leading up to the 2011 French Open, more attention will be paid to the talented French men as they prime their games and bodies to shine at Roland Garros. When you look at the tennis
and athletic skills that Gael Monfils, currently ranked 11th, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, now ranked 16th and Richard Gasquet, back up to 18th, it’s a bit frustrating that they haven’t achieved more in their careers to date. Monfils and Tsonga have both battled injuries over the years and Gasquet was sidelined by his doping debacle, ironically at the Sony Ericsson Open a few years ago.
French tennis has the history of the illustrious “Les Quatre Mousquetaires” aka The Four Musketeers, i.e. Rene Lacoste, Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet, Jacques Brugnon. Given the talent and excitement that Monfils, Tsonga and Gasquet generate with their tennis, clearly there have been/are hopes and expectations for another “coming” of French men’s tennis. At the Sony Ericsson Open, Gasquet and Tsonga were both upset early and Monfils wasn’t even present due to an injury. All three have reached the top ten during their careers, but not stayed there or captured a Grand Slam title. There are also eight other French men ranked in the top 100 and France usually has more players in the main draws at the Grand Slams compared to other countries which is a testament to the depth of French tennis. Nonetheless, given the global and growing talent pool in men’s tennis, the moment for Monfils, Tsonga and Gasquet will not last that much longer… “Allez”!
French tennis has the history of the illustrious “Les Quatre Mousquetaires” aka The Four Musketeers, i.e. Rene Lacoste, Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet, Jacques Brugnon. Given the talent and excitement that Monfils, Tsonga and Gasquet generate with their tennis, clearly there have been/are hopes and expectations for another “coming” of French men’s tennis. At the Sony Ericsson Open, Gasquet and Tsonga were both upset early and Monfils wasn’t even present due to an injury. All three have reached the top ten during their careers, but not stayed there or captured a Grand Slam title. There are also eight other French men ranked in the top 100 and France usually has more players in the main draws at the Grand Slams compared to other countries which is a testament to the depth of French tennis. Nonetheless, given the global and growing talent pool in men’s tennis, the moment for Monfils, Tsonga and Gasquet will not last that much longer… “Allez”!
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