"Physically, he's still in great shape," says Humbert ahead of the all-French clash against Monfils at Wimbledon

The Wimbledon draw has set up a match between two French players right from the first round, with Ugo Humbert and Gaël Monfils facing each other for the 6th time on the main tour.

So far, the 27-year-old leads 3-2 in their head-to-head and hopes to secure a second victory against his compatriot at Wimbledon, after his win at the same stage on the London grass six years ago in 2019. However, before taking on the 38-year-old Frenchman, Humbert remains cautious and is well aware of his opponent's qualities, as he reminded during a press conference.

"Gaël Monfils on grass—that's a great memory, my first match at Wimbledon. For Tuesday, I'm ready for anything. I'll play to my strengths, with my left-handed game. Gaël is very dangerous.

Physically, he's still super fit. Every time I play him, it's complicated. There's this whole aura around him. He knows how to get the crowd behind him. And it's never easy. You know when he’s going to hit that little passing shot, he’ll raise his arms, and all that.

But it's great, it's part of his character. He’s at the very top, Gaël! I grew up watching him—it’s that generation that made me want to play tennis. Since I was little, I was completely behind them. Having had the chance to share the court with them is an incredible opportunity," Humbert told L'Équipe.