Gael Monfils hit back at angry punters who flooded his social media comments with abuse after he suffered a first-round defeat at the Stuttgart Open. The 38-year-old was the underdog in his match against Alex Michelsen, the No. 7 seed, but still pushed him to three sets before losing 6-4 4-6 6-3.
But those who lost money betting on Monfils to win the match weren’t happy, and the Frenchman received an onslaught of abuse on Instagram after the match, sharing a selection of the comments on his story. In a scathing rant, the former world No. 6 said he knew he was “s**t” and told gamblers that they needed to “open some books and do something”.
Some called Monfils a “clown” or “washed” while one wrote: “I can’t wait for the day that ur legs crack and never play tennis ever again. I hope u suffer a career-ending injury.”
It’s unfortunately not unusual for tennis players to receive insults or threats from those who bet on them, but the former world No. 6 decided to tackle the issue head-on and filmed a brutal response to the punters.
“Hey guys, it’s not financial advice, but really, you’re still betting on me? First tournament on grass, I play Alex Michelsen, 20 years old, and you wanna bet on me?” Monfils started.
“You are writing that I’m s**t. I know I’m s**t. We both know I’m s**t and you still bet on me? Who is the dumbest between you and me, to be honest? No, come on.
“By the way, my legs already cracked many times. I’ve played with a broken leg already. So don’t pray for that, but the thing is, I’m not suffering, sorry!”
The current world No. 42 also hit back at those who left racist remarks, adding: “Again, I’m going to mention it, we are in 2025 and you give me the skin colour. What does my skin colour have to do with my tennis performance?
“I know I look pretty. I mean, I say that because my mom and my wife tell me I look pretty. Maybe I look really awful for you. Open some books, do something. This time, you know with skin colour, you know it’s finished, vanish it from your mind.
“Of course, if you want to look a little bit like me, yes, stay a little bit in the sun. Please use some sunscreen, you know, for protection. I mean, I have to help you with that. And open some books, please.”
And Monfils wasn’t happy with people in the comments bringing his family up. “Also guys, things on family, come on, leave the family away. It’s just me, you know,” he continued.
“My mum, my wife, no one has to come on that. It’s just me. If you want to put your rage on someone, just me, don’t pray for someone else. It’s better. I mean, although if you add people, karma will be really bad. Trust me.”
Although the Frenchman was happy to take the abuse on the chin and confront the punters head-on, other players have struggled with vile comments and threats after a loss.
Last week, world No. 3 Jessica Pegula shared “a thread on the insane people that bet on tennis” following her French Open defeat.
She added: “These betters are insane and delusional and I don’t allow DMs and try to remember when to shut my comments off during tournament weeks but they always find a way to my timeline.
“This stuff has never really bothered me much but does any other sport deal with this to our level? I’d love to know because it seems to be predominantly tennis?? It’s so disturbing. Every person on tour deals with it. It’s so bad. Those are just really small snippers. I get told my family should get cancer and die from people here on a regular basis. Absolutely crazy.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk