French veteran Gael Monfils celebrates two new milestones at Monte Carlo, while Zheng Qinwen's ranking drops to 37, becoming a concern.

After the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters began, Gael Monfils unquestionably became the absolute focus under the spotlight.

Since announcing that this season would be his final dance, everyone has paid special attention to Monfils' performance in the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters. They particularly wanted to know whether, in his last appearance on this clay court, the 39-year-old French veteran could still make a splash and earn cheers, or whether he would depart in solitude, leaving regrets.

Monte Carlo has always been described by outsiders as a place of mixed joy and sorrow for Monfils.

The French star's last advance to a Masters final in his career occurred at Monte Carlo in 2016. Unfortunately, Monfils' luck was poor, as he faced Monte Carlo king Rafael Nadal in the final.

Although he gave everything in that match, trying to wrestle properly with the Spanish legend, he still lost after a three-set battle. Especially losing the decisive set with a bagel made many people feel both affection and pity for the French veteran, lamenting that he was born at the wrong time. If his final opponent had been an ordinary player, perhaps his first Masters title would have arrived at Monte Carlo that year.

Standing on the clay court of Monte Carlo again as he approaches retirement, even if Monfils doesn't say it, everyone knows his state of mind.

In the first round against Dutch top player Tallon Griekspoor, many worried before the match that the 39-year-old Monfils might likely not be a match for the Dutchman. Especially when the first set reached a tiebreak, seeing Griekspoor seemingly unwilling to give the French veteran any chance—wanting his final Monte Carlo dance to end with a first-round exit—and after Monfils lost the first set despite all his efforts, fans and netizens urgently hoped that if Monfils lost, the tournament organizers would give him an interview opportunity. Otherwise, turning away now with nothing left, and with no more appearances of Monfils at Monte Carlo thereafter, would be too sad.

Surprisingly, after the setback of losing the first-set tiebreak, Monfils suddenly became fiercely energetic in the second set, swiftly sweeping the Dutchman 6-1.

In the decisive set, Monfils' performance repeatedly earned thumbs-up from everyone.

The resilience shown by the French veteran in the life-or-death decisive set, along with his rich experience in big matches, greatly troubled Griekspoor, who tried to enhance spin on his serve to change the match rhythm. Even though Griekspoor gave everything, even breaking Monfils' serve when the French star reached a commanding 5-2 lead in the match, and making Monfils appear heavy-footed under pressure—suggesting his physical condition might be problematic—which worried many that he could be reversed at any moment, the French veteran steadied himself at the crucial moment and won the decisive set 6-4, declaring his comeback victory over the Dutch top player.

Analyzing why Monfils, despite not having physical advantage, ultimately emerged victorious against Griekspoor, people emphasized that the French veteran relied on quickly adapting to the clay rhythm and an exceptionally resilient mindset at critical moments, profoundly illustrating the phrase "victory belongs to the persevering."

Of course, after battling through three sets to pass the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters, Monfils also welcomed two new milestones: with 145 wins surpassing Richard Gasquet's 144, becoming the French player with the most Masters singles victories; and becoming the oldest player to win at the Monte Carlo Masters since Gábor Gulyás in 1973, who won at age 41, while the French star is 39.

Considering this is Monfils' last participation in the Monte Carlo Masters, his final dance here still achieving breakthroughs makes his match against Griekspoor even more significant.

For the second round against Asian top player Alexander Bublik, many believe whether Monfils wins or loses is no longer important.

Compared to Monfils successfully capturing all attention at Monte Carlo with breakthroughs as the clay season begins, how Zheng Qinwen's clay season debut performs is now awaited with both anticipation and anxiety.

In the latest WTA ranking list published, Zheng Qinwen's ranking has dropped to No. 37, just one step away from falling out of the Top 40. This means that in the upcoming clay season, to halt her ranking decline, she must perform well without any mishaps. Or, as one netizen said, "Little Zheng's ranking is likely to collapse." Later, encountering top-seeded players early in other tournaments will make achieving good results even harder.

Additionally, Zheng Qinwen chose to start this year's clay season at Stuttgart, which is packed with top players. Considering her current ranking situation, the potential draw luck, and debut performance, it naturally evokes feelings of both expectation and anxiety.（Source: Tennis Home Author: Moon River's Sky）