seed Nikoloz Basilashvili to make the semifinals. He lost in the semifinals to 2nd seed Pablo Carreño Busta in straight sets. One week later at the 2021 Sofia Open, seeded second, he made his first ATP final in 18 months where he lost to top seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner in straight sets. He continued his good form, reaching the round of 16 in Indian Wells, Vienna and at home in Paris, where he registered the fastest forehand ever at 190 km/h. 2022: 11th title, injuries, out of top 50 As the top seed, Monfils won his eleventh title at the first Adelaide International tournament without dropping a set, beating Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, 6th seed Tommy Paul, Thanasi Kokkinakis and 2nd seed Karen Khachanov. Monfils pulled out of the second tournament with a neck injury against lucky loser Thiago Monteiro after being a break down in the third set. At the Australian Open, Monfils defeated Federico Coria, Alexander Bublik, 16th seed Cristian Garín and Miomir Kecmanović (all in straight sets) to reach his first quarterfinal at the Australian Open since 2016, and first quarterfinal at any major since the 2019 US Open. There, he lost to Matteo Berrettini in five sets. After skipping the start of the clay season, Monfils played his first clay tournament of the year at the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open. Following his Madrid Masters exit, Monfils underwent a heel surgery as he missed the 2022 French Open and the entire grass season. After being out for three months, Monfils returned to action at the Montreal Masters. In his first tournament back following a lengthy absence, Monfils sustained a foot injury. He ended his season on 31 October 2022. Playing style Monfils is usually described as a baseliner who uses placement and consistency to beat his opponents. He is well known for his athleticism and his court coverage, regularly using slides to retrieve balls, even on hard courts. His ability to go from defense to offense quickly can take his opponents by surprise. Monfils occasionally demonstrates that he is capable of generating tremendous pace on his groundstrokes off both wings, especially his forehand that can reach 190 km/h. He has garnered a reputation for showmanship and high-risk shotmaking throughout his career. Monfils uses a semi-western grip forehand and a combination of continental/semi-western on his backhand. He possesses a strong, accurate serve capable of reaching 230 km/h,