Felix Auger-Aliassime pissed off at Gael Monfils' antics at Laver Cup

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Gael Monfils is known as an exhibitionist, an entertainer, and one of the funniest tennis players in the world. Team Europe’s 37-year-old veteran was all of that early during his Friday night Laver Cup match against Felix Auger-Aliassime at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Monfils was joking with fans, hitting circus shots, and he even sat down next to a linesman after a missed call.

“Is it a full-on exhibition then?” Team World’s Auger-Aliassime asked the umpire during the changeover at 3-2 in the first set.

“That’s normal?” he asked of how the Frenchman sat down and made him wait to play.
“I can play games too.”

Monfils then came to speak to the Canadian before they continued. They spoke in French with the jist of it being Auger-Aliassime telling Monfils that in his experience, players treat the Laver Cup seriously. Auger-Aliassime is playing in his third Laver Cup, while Monfils plays his first.

“If I don’t want to play a tournament, I don’t play a tournament,” Monfils was heard telling his team during the 5-4 changeover.

“They called me, they told me it will be so nice. You can play free, but it hurt him [Auger-Aliassime] because he’s serious.”

Meanwhile, on Team World’s bench: “What have the people that brought him here told him?” A perplexed Auger-Aliassime asked his teammates.

“He’s doing all his BS right now, don’t worry about it, don’t even look at him,” Ben Shelton answered. “If he comes here to talk again, walk away or stare him down.”

Monfils & Aliassime argument at Laver Cup

Gael: “They call me & say ‘You can be free…’ For me, I’m here to have fun.”

Felix: “What did the people that brought him here tell him?”

They were in very different mindsets coming into this match.
pic.twitter.com/ta3RnRxwXb

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 23, 2023

Monfils barely thought about winning the match for the next 10 minutes. Auger-Aliassime easily broke Monfils serve to take the set, then quickly went up 3-0 in the second set before taking it 6-3.

“Things got a bit heated in the moment,” the Canadian told reporters after the match. “I came in thinking I’ve played this tournament and I think everybody involved, not just myself, we believe the Laver Cup is a tournament that has potential to be taken very seriously, not just now but in the future.”

“Even in ATP tournaments players sometimes try to get in your head or play around the lines of the court, and that’s ok. It’s also ok for me to stand up for myself and say, ‘Look, I’m here to compete. I’m not going to let my opponent kill time and kill the rhythm on my serve. That was it for me – just trying to stand up for myself.”

After Day 1 of Laver Cup action, Team World has won all the matches and raced to a 4-0 lead. Good news for fans: Day 2’s matches are worth two points each, so Team Europe can turn things around quickly.

Better news for fans: the captains have set their lineups and pitted Auger-Aliassime and Monfils against each other again, this time in doubles.

Day 2’s 1 pm match will feature Team Europe’s Andrey Rublev (No. 6) facing Team World’s Taylor Fritz (No. 8) followed by Team Europe’s Casper Ruud (No. 9) taking on Team World’s Tommy Paul (No. 13).

The evening matches will see Team Europe’s Hubert Hurkacz (No. 16) take on Team World’s Frances Tiafoe (No. 11) at 7 pm followed by the headliner doubles match – Felix Auger-Aliassime and Ben Shelton vs Gael Monfils and Hubert Hurkacz.

“Gael is someone I appreciate so there’s no tension outside what just happened,” concluded Auger-Aliassime.

We’ll see this evening.

Ben Shelton gets compared to Rafa, loves the compliment

After he won the opening match for Team World on Day 1 at the Laver Cup, one reporter compared 20-year-old Shelton to tennis legend Rafael Nadal.

Vinay Venkatesh from Inside Tennis told Shelton his left-handedness, fight, and celebrations were “Rafa-esque.”

“That’s a huge compliment so thank you,” replied the American after beating Artur Fils 7-6 (4), 6-1.

“The way I love to fight and that I don’t give up could be traits I saw or learned from Rafa growing up. He’s one of those guys who replicated it every match, every tournament. You could only hope to have a fighting spirit like him.”

“Some of the things we’ve seen him do on the court definitely helped me. Showing some emotion, showing my fire, and trying to come after the guy that I’m playing.”
Shelton’s win was a new experience for Team World.

“It’s the first time we’ve ever won the opening match,” said assistant captain Patrick McEnroe. “As John [McEnroe] (the team’s captain) said, ‘It only took six years.’”

Shelton told media how his team helped him afterwards: “The three guys who were on me and in my ears the most were Chris Eubanks, Frances [Tiafoe] and Taylor Fritz,” said Shelton.

“To be able to have them in my corner, top American guys, guys who’ve had great results this summer, beaten a lot of players, to see how their minds work during the match is something I haven’t seen before. It was really cool and special for me.”

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