Gael Monfils and Corentin Moutet have hired their new coaches for the 2019 season. Thirty-two year-old French star Monfils has announced to the French sports daily that he will work with 39-year-old Liam Smith, a National Head Coach for Tennis Australia. Smith has worked with Matthew Ebden and Radu Albot. He helped Albot reach the top 100.
Smith has worked to develop the next generation of Australian professional players. He worked with Ricardas Berankis early in his career helping the Latvian player become the number 1 junior player. The tennis coach, who grew up in London and currently lives in Miami, also worked on the WTA Tour with Justine Henin’s Academy 6th Sense.
Monfils met Smith in 2016 and worked with him in Miami. Liam Smith has a passion for statistics and videos. The French player, who ended the season ranked in the top 30 for the ninth time in his career, will start his 2019 season in Auckland. In 2018 he returned from a knee injury last January with his first title in Doha in his fourth final at this tournament. He reached the semifinal in Buenos Aires and Antalya, the quarter final in Quito, Rio de Janeiro and Vienna. At Grand Slam level Monfils he beat Sam Querrey to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon and missed four match points against David Goffin in the third round at Roland Garros.
The French Tennis Federation has announced that 19-year-old player Next Gen player Corentin Moutet has hired 47-year-old Emmanuel Planque, who previously worked with 2017 Davis Cup winner Lucas Pouille.
Pouille split with Planque last November after six years of collaboration. Planque helped Pouille reach a career-high of world number 10 and win five ATP titles.
Moutet, who is currently ranked world number 150, won two ATP Challenger tournaments and reached a career-high of world number 105 last September. Moutet’s idol growing up was Rafa Nadal. He likes all tennis surfaces and his favourite shots are drop shot and volley. His favourite tournament is Roland Garros. Outside the tennis court Moutet is an excellent piano player.
Moutet reached two semifinals at Junior level in two Grand Slam tournaments at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. In 2017 he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas to win his first ATP Challenger title in Brest.
In 2018 he reached the quarter final in Quito ATP 250 tournament this year. He made his first appearance at Grand Slam level at last January’s Australian Open, where he lost to Andreas Seppi in the first round. He scored his maiden match win at Grand Slam level at 2018 Roland Garros in front of his home fans, when he upset Croatian veteran Ivo Karlovic before losing to David Goffin in the next round. After withdrawing from the Wimbledon qualifying round due to a thumb injury, Moutet lost in the first round at the US Open.
