Gael Monfils is never too far from the action. The Frenchman is currently playing at the Mubadala Citi DC Open after injuries kept him away from tennis. He went against Alexander Bublik in the Round of 32 matches before something unusual happened on the court.
Monfils eventually went on to defeat Bublik 6-3, 6-4 in straight sets, but not before some drama unfolded during the course of the match. The incident that overshadowed Gael’s win over Bublik was when the umpire gave him a warning.
Monfils was warned for ‘lack of effort’ when he refused to play Bublik’s serve. Gael was leading the second set 5-3 when this bizarre incident occurred.
Gael Monfils received a warning for a lack of effort when leading against Alexander Bublik.
He went on to win in straight sets 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/BHz5mRGJdg
— Eurosport (@eurosport) August 3, 2023
Bublik was serving to make the score 5-4, and Monfils had a chance to serve for the match in the next game. So Gael opted to ignore Bublik’s serve completely and started walking to his bench. It was a soft ace from Bublik and he won that point.
This turn of events baffled everyone. Furthermore, the umpire handed Monfils an official warning. Bublik, however, got a good laugh out of this incident.
Weirdly enough, Gael Monfils started arguing with the umpire. The commentators said, “Well, I think that’s a fair call, isn’t it? Yes, you’re thinking about the next game to serve it out but you can’t really do that. Bublik found it funny! I’m just wondering what his argument is.”
Monfils played out the set and won the match, avoiding embarrassment on his return tour. The Frenchman has been riddled with injuries this year. He sat out of the Australian Open in favor of the French Open. A wrist injury meant he had to pull out of the French Open and even miss Wimbledon.
Gael Monfils has a history of giving up during his matches
French tennis player Gael Monfils is guilty of just giving up during matches. The most bizarre incident involved Monfils and Andy Murray during their French Open clash in 2014.
The match was wildly unpredictable as the pendulum of victory swung from one end to another. Murray started off well, winning 2 sets before Monfils came back hard. With both players having won 2 sets each, the deciding set was disappointing as Monfils practically gave up.
The scoreline read an erratic 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 1-6, 6-0. Andy Murray dished Gael Monfils a bagel in the final set, which took only 21 minutes to complete. He was not spared by fans either.
Gael Monfils lack of effort at the end of the Murray match was shameful #RG2014
— davideprince 🐘 (@davideprince) June 5, 2014
Former World number one Andy Roddick did not spare Monfils’ lack of efforts. “Nothing pisses me off more than watching someone giving a horrible effort. Showboats when winning and rolls over when down,” he wrote on Twitter (via Courier Mail).
Roddick was not the only person to criticize Monfils in his career. John McEnroe criticized him for his lack of effort during the match against Novak Djokovic at the US Open.
It was the semifinal between the Frenchman and Djokovic that drew criticism. McEnroe was unhappy with his performance, calling him unprofessional. In the end, he said it was, “one of the greatest lack-of-effort matches in the semifinal of a major that I’ve ever seen.”
Gael Monfils does have a record of giving up when it matters the most. While he may have won this match against Bublik, luck has not always been in his favor. He takes on Tallon Griekspoor next.