Over to you, Frances Tiafoe. 

That was the message the soon-to-be retired Gael Monfils passed along to Tiafoe in Tennis Paradise. 

“He's like, ‘Man, when I'm done, you're the guy, you're the entertaining guy,’” Tiafoe told reporters.  

“We both just love what we do. Came from humble beginnings and we just come out there and try and compete at the highest level and show that joy and have people love what we do.

“I'm going to miss him a ton.”

Monfils, 39, played his final Indian Wells match on Friday — losing to Felix Auger-Aliassime — and intends to call it quits when the season ends. 

But Tiafoe is still going after a confidence boosting 6-4, 6-2 win over Sacramento’s Jenson Brooksby. 

Whereas Monfils’ athleticism has provided highlight after highlight for 20 years, Tiafoe gets the fans behind him with fist pumps and engaging roars. That includes at the US Open, where he is a two-time semifinalist.

They both, too, like to smile, even in the heat of battle. 

Tiafoe, though, said he dialed it down in his win over Brooksby, who had prevailed in all three of their previous meetings without conceding a set. 

All three came in the US, including in the Houston final on clay last April. 

“Today I was trying to really keep my head down and stay under water,” said Tiafoe. “He’s so good turning matches around.

“American-American, obviously, I know if I got them riled up, they probably would have got behind me, but I just wanted to play point by point. I think when you're playing some foreigners, top guys, you want to definitely use it, get a break and get them riled up, make them feel you a little more.

“I think just picking your moments.”

And this time — unlike last year in his desert opener — Tiafoe didn’t forget his racquets when he walked on court. 

With a new coaching team, he is in much better form in 2026, entering Tennis Paradise with a 10-5 record compared to 4-4 in 2025. 

Tiafoe just made the final in Acapulco, helped by saving two match points in the second round against Aleksandar Kovacevic. One came courtesy of a gutsy forehand return winner down the line that, you guessed it, got the fans going.

“Starting to come together, and it feels good,” said the No. 21 seed. “I mean, big growth week last week. I was pretty sick in Acapulco, just battling, choosing to do it anyways. Hurting, don't care, no excuses.

“Yeah, things starting to fall your way a little bit. Obviously it was a little luck and everything. But I'm working, and you see it starting to turn a page.

“I'm happy where we're going. Just stay with it, wake up and grind and do it.”

Tiafoe won’t have to wait long to try to get the better of the player who beat him in Acapulco, Flavio Cobolli. They meet Sunday.