France's heirs apparent: Humbert, Gaston, Moutet, Pouille

A century ago, France had its “Four Muskeeters”—Henri Cochet, Rene Lacoste, Jean Borotra and Jacques Brugnon—who won the Davis Cup each year from 1927 to 1932. At the beginning of the 21st century, French tennis fans christened Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon as the “New Muskeeters,” given their collective success from young ages.

All four French veterans are still playing, but for how much longer? And, who could take their places?

Ugo Humbert

Resembles: Richard Gasquet

On the 22-year-old: They’ve both worked with Thierry Ascione, and they’ve both won multiple titles early on as pros. How will Humbert handle the expectations that come with it? If he even comes close to Gasquet’s haul—15 titles, 550-plus wins—he’ll have done very well.

On the 34-year-old: Any late-career push from this flashy shotmaker will likely come on hard or grass courts. Twice a semifinalist at Wimbledon and once at the US Open, Gasquet’s serve has always been overlooked due to his still-brilliant one-handed backhand.

Hugo Gaston

Resembles: Gael Monfils

On the 20-year-old: Monfils loves the drop shot to a fault, though perhaps not as much as Gaston, who used it to great effect at Roland Garros 2020; he beat Stan Wawrinka and took Dominic Thiem to a fifth—as a 239th-ranked wild card. Next step: qualify for more major main draws.

On the 34-year-old: With an air of nonchalance, a flair for the highlight reel and a deep-seated desire to dive and slide (on any surface), who would have guessed that Monfils would be this foursome’s most durable competitor?

Corentin Moutet

Resembles: Gilles Simon

On the 22-year-old: Pint-sized with a compact and consistent game, Moutet has entrenched himself in the Top 100 and has proven to be a tough out for more powerful hitters. This year, he’s beaten Frances Tiafoe, Grigor Dimitrov, and outlasted the indefatigable John Millman.

On the 36-year-old: This counter-puncher extraordinaire can extend points like few others. But lacking a kill shot on slower surfaces, Simon can wear himself out. More concerning: in late February, Simon stepped away from the tour for an indeterminate length of time, citing mental health issues.

Lucas Pouille

Resembles: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

On the 27-year-old: The Grande-Synthe native has experienced big wins (over Rafael Nadal at the US Open; titles on all three surfaces; a run to the 2019 Australian Open semis) and hard luck (an elbow operation forced him out of Roland Garros last fall). Sound familiar?

On the 36-year-old: If you were told after the 2008 Australian Open that Tsonga and Novak Djokovic would win a combined 18 Grand Slam titles, how many would you have given Jo? Injuries and an inability to close at the highest levels have ultimately held Tsonga back, but he doesn’t see the career finish line just yet.