"I really scared myself," Monfils reflects on his early fall against Dellien

Gaël Monfils will advance to the second round of Roland-Garros. After a grueling battle lasting over 3 hours and 30 minutes, the Frenchman, trailing two sets to zero, eventually found a way to overturn Hugo Dellien (4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-1) and secured a second-round clash against world No. 5 Jack Draper.

However, the evening could have taken a very different turn on Court Philippe-Chatrier. In the very first game, Monfils collided with an advertising board and fell onto the court while holding two break points.

After calling for the physio, it took him several minutes to regain his composure, but he ultimately finished the match physically intact. A reassuring outcome after a shaky start where he couldn’t compete at 100%.

Speaking on Prime Video, the broadcaster of the match, the man who claimed his 40th victory on Parisian clay (matching Yannick Noah’s record for French players) revisited the fall but credited the unwavering support of the crowd throughout the encounter.

"Honestly, I really scared myself. I hurt my hands, took a big impact, and landed a bit on my knee. It took me some time—until 4-1—to fully relax. My back also took a hit.

On top of that, I was feeling good, leading 15-40 in the first game, already with a plan in mind. These things happen. I had to loosen up because I tensed up after that, I was searching for my rhythm.

Then, you have to trust yourself, trust the work I’ve put in over the past few weeks. I knew I could hold on, but I needed to find my cruising rhythm, improve tactically, and push a little harder.

The crowd was extraordinary. I had some luck with certain shots, but I went for it, and it worked. That’s the magic of Roland-Garros," the Frenchman elaborated after the match.