For the first time in his career, Gael Monfils will be participating in the “Golden Swing.” As of now, the Frenchman is scheduled to play in Quito, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo before the American hard court Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami.

It’s no secret that Monfils’s ultimate goal throughout his career has been winning the French Open. At the beginning of the 2018 season, Monfils started posting Youtube videos titled “Lamonf Story” giving insight on his offseason training and plans for the 2018 season.

Monfils also stated that he was going to stress rising up the rankings immediately. You’d have to assume that’s why he took a wildcard into Doha, which paid off after winning the title. His draw at the Australian Open didn’t do him any favors as he fell to Novak Djokovic in the second round.

The clay courts in South America have a ton of points up for grabs. If he’s able to have success, he’ll rise through the rankings with not many points to defend at the moment. With so many tournaments going on simultaneously, the entry lists aren’t as strong as some of the other events which should present even more of an opportunity to get his ranking up before playing in Indian Wells and Miami.

Even though the French Open isn’t until May, it’s never too early to start thinking about the next Grand Slam. Since winning his home Slam is such a big goal that Monfils has always had, maybe playing most of the season on clay leading up will help.

It’s a little surprising that Monfils isn’t playing the indoor tournaments in Montpellier and Marseille, as he’s always a big draw everywhere he plays, but especially in France. Personally, I believe the switch this season will not only pay off short-term but also later down the line this season as we get closer to the French Open.

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