For a player regarded as one of the most exciting and explosive on the professional tennis circuit, Gael Monfils is ready-made for the Tie Break Tens series.
Good job then that the Frenchman, ranked No 18 on the ATP Tour, will be playing in the event when it makes its Middle East debut in Dubai on Friday.
TB10s is quite unlike any other format in tennis in that there are no games or sets, instead players duke it out over single tie-breaks with the first to 10 points, by a margin of two points, declared the winner. First launched at London's Royal Albert Hall in 2015, the series has since moved around the globe, with stops in Vienna, Madrid, Melbourne, New York, and Indian Wells.
With no ranking points on the line and a tournament which gets played over a single day, TB10s is a fast and frenetic departure from the usual events which comprise the 11-month tennis calendar. It has also so far proved successful in making tennis events more inclusive and engaging, allowing for greater interaction between fans and players.
"Tie Break Tens is a fun and innovative concept, which comes as a great addition to our more traditional tour. It is very fast and anyone can beat anyone," Monfils told The National. "Rankings do not count any more, it's all about being ready to deliver on the spot. Crowds also have a chance to see all their favourite players at once which makes it a very fan-oriented event."
Monfils will be bidding for the winner-takes-all Dh500,000 ($136,130) prize at the Coca-Cola Arena against seven other players, including American Taylor Fritz, who last week reached the Indian Wells semi-finals, former British No 1 Dan Evans, German crowd favourite Dustin Brown, and second-ranked Indian Ramkumar Ramanathan.
Monfils will certainly be confident of getting his hands on the trophy given his fine recent success in the Emirates. The Frenchman has reached successive semi-finals at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, in 2019 and 2020, and had three match points against world No 1 Novak Djokovic to reach the final in the latter.
"I have always enjoyed playing in Dubai," he said. "I like the atmosphere and the crowds – especially at night. I think the conditions suit me well to perform. I have been coming more and more over the last years to train in the off season – and I am considering making it a permanent base."
Monfils setting up home in Dubai makes plenty of sense. As he said himself, "Dubai is a renowned hub where you can get to and from anywhere in the world in one direct flight. It makes it the ideal destination for us tennis players, who are always on the go." It probably also helps that his wife, world No 7 Elina Svitolina, is a frequent visitor to the UAE, often conducting off-season training camps in the Emirates, while two of her 16 career titles came back-to-back in Dubai.
As Monfils returns to Dubai nearly 20 months after that thrilling match against Djokovic at the Aviation Club, much has changed. As with most professional sport, tennis was severely disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, and even as it returned after a four-month shutdown, it did so in empty stadiums and amid strict bio-secure bubbles.
On a professional level, the shutdown could not have come at a worse time for Monfils. He secured successive titles early on during the 2020 season and was in the form of his life. As the ATP Tour emerged from the shutdown in the July, Monfils struggled to adapt, going 0-4 for the remainder of the year before calling time on his season after the Vienna Open due to a neck injury.
"I believe I was playing my best tennis before the lockdown when I won back-to-back in Montpellier and Rotterdam and reached the semis in Dubai," Monfils said. "It felt really strange to restart a few months later in empty stadiums. I was missing the energy from the crowd and was not able to perform how I wanted."
Those struggles for form and momentum carried over into 2021, but since a first round defeat at the Tokyo Olympics, Monfils looks to be moving in the right direction. A run to the quarter-finals at the Canadian Masters was followed by a semi-final in Metz and a final appearance in Sofia.
At the age of 35 and having spent nearly half his life on the tour, Monfils knows better than most the peaks and valleys of the tennis circuit. His career has been played out during what is commonly referred to as the 'Big Three' era - a generation dominated by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokokic. Still, the Frenchman has enjoyed his fair share of success having amassed 10 ATP Tour titles so far.
Given the historic achievements of the Big Three - all have won a record-equalling 20 Grand Slam titles - as they enter the latter stages of their career, talk has moved to how men's tennis will adapt once the sport's three greatest players eventually hang up their racquets. Monfils, however, believes the future is in safe hands.
"The next generation of tennis players is now very much in place even though I am convinced we will still hear about Roger, Rafa and Novak," he said. "[Daniil] Medvedev is the first to have broken through by winning his first Grand Slam at the US Open, but I am sure Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev will follow shortly. I also rate highly the chances of Jannik Sinner."
The immediate future, as far as Monfils is concerned, is Dubai and the Tie Break Tens on Friday and he will be looking to emulate his wife's success after Svitolina won the women's tournament in New York. Most importantly for Monfils, he is just happy to see fans back out and enjoying live tennis again.
"Tie Break Tens is still a new event so it is important that every part of the world gets a chance to enjoy it," he said. "Fans are the essence of our sport and without them it is not the same."
India squad
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, K.L. Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
MATCH INFO
Tottenham 4 (Alli 51', Kane 50', 77'. Aurier 73')
Olympiakos 2 (El-Arabi 06', Semedo')
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYodawy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarim%20Khashaba%2C%20Sherief%20El-Feky%20and%20Yasser%20AbdelGawad%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2424.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlgebra%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20MEVP%20and%20Delivery%20Hero%20Ventures%2C%20among%20others%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20500%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
