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Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner heaped praise on Gael Monfils after the duo's clash in the quarterfinal of the 2023 Canadian Open.
Sinner moved one step closer to his maiden ATP 1000 Masters crown by defeating Monfils on Friday. The seventh seed emerged victorious 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 after nearly two hours of play filled with exciting rallies.
During an on-court interview after the match, Sinner praised the French star and hailed his importance to the ATP tour. The 21-year-old brought up Monfils' sense of humor off the court and lauded how he enjoys playing the sport.
"An important character on the tour. He's very very funny off the court, on the court for the fans he's obviously very very nice to see and he enjoys his tennis and sometimes we need characters like this in tennis," Sinner said.
Jannik Sinner also said that players like Gael Monfils are 'quite rare,' and finished by wishing Frenchman the best for his future.
"They are now quite rare because for him it's quite natural to do it. Yeah, it's nice to see him here and I wish him all the best," the Italian added.
Jannik Sinner will now square off against 12th seed Tommy Paul in the semifinal of the Canadian Open. The American upset World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in his quarterfinal battle, winning the three-setter by a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 score.
"I've let you down" - Andy Murray addresses Canadian Open crowd about injury concerns before pulling out of clash against Jannik Sinner
Andy Murray recently addressed the Canadian Open crowd about his injury and pulled out of the tournament ahead of his clash against Jannik Sinner.
Just moments before his Round of 16 battle against the Italian, Murray took to the court to announce his withdrawal from the event. The three-time Grand Slam cited an abdominal injury as the reason behind his decision.
“The issue is my abdominal. So, unfortunately, I am not going to be able to play this evening,” Murray said.
“I’m really sorry. I know, I feel like I’ve let you down," he added.
