Video - "I was thinking about the French Kiss": when Dimitrov tried to kiss Monfils in New York

Arthur Millot

le 19/09/2025 à 14h52

1 min to read

Dimitrov Monfils

An improbable moment, an unexpected gesture, a rare camaraderie: a look back at the moment of tenderness between two tennis showmen that surprised everyone.

New York, US Open 2011. In the heat of a summer evening on the Louis Armstrong court, a moment as unexpected as it was legendary occurred between two of the most endearing personalities on the ATP circuit: Gaël Monfils, the flamboyant Frenchman, and Grigor Dimitrov, the promising young Bulgarian.

This gesture, both strange and sincere (a kiss attempt by the Bulgarian), intrigued fans for a long time. Was it a joke? An outburst of emotion? A moment of pure madness? Grigor Dimitrov finally opened up years later, with a statement as disarming as it was sincere:

"Why did I do that? Good question! I was out of it. Gaël and I are good friends, I was looking at my box and thinking about the French Kiss..."

You can watch this sequence again below. It took place during the first round of the 2011 US Open, when the two men shook hands after the Frenchman's victory (7-6, 6-3, 6-4).