Gael Monfils signs with Prince

Press release

 

Gael Monfils

Twenty-two year old Frenchman Gael Monfils (GAH'-ehl mohn-FEES') has been called tennis’ uber-athlete. Aside from being one of the most charismatic personalities in the sport, he is a natural talent graced with incredible athleticism and rare combinations of speed, strength, gritty counter-punching and incredible shot making abilities. At 1,92m, 81kg, Monfils represents the next generation tennis player. He also now represents the Prince brand.

Three weeks ago, “La Monf”, as he is often affectionately referred to, picked up one of the frames in Prince’s soon-to-be released 2009 line. While details of the line are still “under wraps”, Monfils was an instant convert and now, at a ceremony in Paris, France during the BNP Paribas Masters event, he made it official, signing with Prince and becoming the newest athlete on the Company’s player roster.

According to Monfils, “I knew as soon as I hit the first ball with it, there was something different, something better. It is hard to explain, but the holes and the technology made a difference. It just felt right. The racquet is vital to my work. It has to elevate my game or I am not interested in making a switch.”

In fact, since picking up the new racquet three weeks ago, prior to the ATP event stop in Vienna, Austria, the former No. 1 ranked junior in the world has beaten two top fifteen players (including the world’s No. 7 Andy Roddick), reached his first ATP final in more than twelve months and has jumped eleven ranking spots to No. 14 in the world - not a bad start.

Monfils has chosen to play a model that has been in development for more than two years and is set for release, globally, in the first part of 2009. It, along with the other models in the series, will introduce the tennis world to a breakthrough racquet technology that re-writes the laws of physics.

“Prince is known on the tour for making best quality racquets and for always making new advancements that help players win,” said Monfils. “They are inspiring players and changing the game – and that is the type of team I want to be on.”

Moving forward Monfils will be an ambassador for the brand and involved in all aspects of marketing and promotion. “This is certainly an exciting addition to the Prince team – one that is a true testament to the hard work of our product development team and an early indicator that players will see something very special in 2009,” said George Napier, CEO of Prince Sports, Inc. “We are proud to be in partnership with Gael, and his team, and feel privileged to have him representing our brand. He is passionate, professional, team-oriented and, together, we look forward to helping Gael reach the top of his game.”

Monfils joins an impressive and growing list of athletes playing with Prince including: Nikolay Davydenko, David Ferrer, the current No.1 ranked (and perhaps greatest of all-time) men’s doubles team of Mike and Bob Bryan, the current No.1 ranked woman in the world, Jelena Jankovic, the No. 1 ranked woman’s doubles player in the world, Liezel Huber and Maria Sharapova – as well as a growing number of top-ranked junior players around the world.

For more information regarding all Prince players and products, visit www.princetennis.com. For additional information on Gael Monfils, please visit www.gaelmonfils.com.