During Roland Garros in 1998, a nearly five-minute-long profile aired on French television featuring a boy with glasses, braces and big dreams. In the intro to the piece, the host referred to the boy as a “future Yannick Noah”.
That boy was Gael Monfils.
“C’est un rêve d’être dans les dix premiers mondiaux,” Monfils said, flashing the big smile that millions have come to know over the years.
“It’s a dream to be in the Top 10 of the world.”
The Frenchman has done that and plenty more. Having reached a career-high No. 6 in the ATP Rankings, won more than 500 tour-level matches and earned more than $20 million in prize money, it is safe to say Monfils has accomplished his dreams. Twenty-four years later, he still points to that interview.
“It was a big dream,” Monfils told ATPTour.com. “I still live my dreams 100 per cent. I’m living in my dream. I am blessed, I am lucky. People don’t see how much work I put into this, how many sacrifices I’ve…
