Gael Monfils needs just one more win to make French tennis history

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Gael Monfils got his last-ever Indian Wells campaign off to a strong start.

Monfils, set to retire at the end of the season, won his opening match at the first ATP Masters event of the year against Alexis Galarneau.

The Frenchman defeated the Canadian qualifier in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, to set up a second-round clash with Galarneau’s compatriot, Felix Auger-Aliassime.

With his victory in ‘Tennis Paradise’, Monfils is now just one win away from a history-making feat for his country.

Gael Monfils can make history in the second round at Indian Wells

Monfils’ triumph over Galarneau saw him match countryman Richard Gasquet for the most match wins at ATP Masters events since the format’s inception in 1990, according to Opta Ace.

The 39-year-old veteran now has a total of 144 wins at the level throughout his career, ranked joint-first with Gasquet.

One more win will see Monfils become the outright leader, but it won’t be easy against world number nine Auger-Aliassime.

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Monfils and Auger-Aliassime have played twice before on the ATP Tour, with the head-to-head currently tied one apiece.

They first clashed in the 2020 Rotterdam final, which Monfils won, but Auger-Aliassime earned revenge three years later at the Laver Cup.

Gael Monfils’ best Masters campaigns over the years

Monfils has never won an ATP Masters 1000 event in his career, but he has come close on a number of occasions.

He made his first Masters final back in 2009 in Paris, but narrowly lost to Novak Djokovic after falling in a decisive third-set tiebreak.

The following year, Monfils returned to the championships match at the Paris Masters, but lost again, this time to Robin Soderling.

It was not until 2016 that Monfils made another Masters final, with the former world number six doing so at the Monte-Carlo Masters that year.

Unfortunately, he was faced with Rafael Nadal in the title bout, and despite taking the second set, Monfils could not find an answer for the King of Clay that day.