Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are probably the first two names on any 2000s kids’ list of favorite tennis players. And the same holds true for Holger Rune, who had another name on his list of idols- the ‘absolutely fantastic’ Gael Monfils. Now considered amongst the most mercurial talents on the rise in tennis, Rune too was once just a starry-eyed fan. When a 9-year-old Rune met Gael Monfils at a tournament in Sweden, the young kid was so enthralled by the encounter, he refused to wash the Monfils fairy dust off of his hands!
Gael Monfils’s case is an intriguing one to say the least. With talent in abundance and athleticism that you could only dream of, the Frenchman never actually got within touching distance of a Major. But he remains universally loved nonetheless; everyone, young and dreamy or old and fragile, wants to do what Gael does on a tennis court. Who wouldn’t want to hit winners while levitating mid-air?
While many have tried, and possibly broken a few bones, one of Monfils’ fans did indeed make it to the top. Holger Rune now stands at World No. 6 in the ATP rankings and carries similar expectations on his shoulder as his idol once did.
When Holger Rune touched Gael Monfils
Currently at the opposite ends of the spectrum in their tennis careers, Holger Rune and Gael Monfils were set to face off in the second round of the Roland Garros until the Frenchman was forced to pull out due to wrist issues. But this wouldn’t have been the first time the two had met; that instance goes back 11 years when the Dane was just 9 years old.
Having traveled to experience the Stockholm Open with his mother Aneke Rune, Holger braved the cold for hours for Monfils. When the moment finally came and Monfils obliged with an autograph, young Holger touched his idol. And such was his awe for Gael that the young Dane refused to wash his hands after!
“Holger was totally into him. He thought he was absolutely fantastic. Holger touches Monfils’ hand at the same time as he gives his autograph. And Holger refuses to wash his hands afterwards. He simply refuses to wash his hands because he has touched Monfils. He was completely up and running.
When he had to wash his hands, it was only with one hand. The other he avoided. He was such a big fan,” Aneke Rune says.
So many questions arise from this recounting of the wonderful encounter. Wonder if Rune has washed his hands yet? If not, has that helped him become one of the fiercest young guns in the sport? And finally, where is Gael right now?
An incredible victory at a cost
With such a crossing of paths in their history, Rune and Monfils meeting each other on court as opponents would certainly have been a clash to cherish. Unfortunately, Monfils pushed himself just a bit too much in his exhilarating first match comeback win against Sebastian Baez. Having been down 0-4 in the final set, the 36-year-old held on in truly amazing fashion and won the match 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5, making it his first victory as a father.
Unfortunately, though, this memorable treat came at a price which will see him walk away from the tournament without striking another ball.
“Actually, physically, I’m quite fine. I was quite happy this morning. I woke up quite good, but I had the problem with my wrist that I cannot solve,” Monfils said in a press conference. “Felt it during the match, actually the whole match [yesterday]. And unfortunately even [though] we pushed it ’til tonight, just came back again for another exam, and yes, waited a little bit. The doctor said [it] was not good to play with that type of injury. Yesterday was actually very risky, and then today definitely said I should stop.”
As a result, Rune will proceed to the next round without facing a man he has grown up swooning over. But with Gael optimistic about returning for the grass swing of the season, we can hope to finally see the idol and his fan battle it out on the tennis court.
