With his victory over fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the final of Montpellier, Gael Monfils captured only the fifth title of his career and moved his record on the year to 12-2. His only two losses came against Rafael Nadal in the final of Doha and the third round of the Australian Open.

Despite his win in Montpellier, Monfils is still the owner of an abysmal 5-16 record in ATP finals. His current success, when juxtaposed with his underachieving past, begs the question of whether or not he has come to play for the duration of 2014 and beyond.

The Frenchman will face his next big test on Wednesday as he squares off against world No. 5 Juan Martin Del Potro in the first round of Rotterdam. Del Potro is the top seed, but his level is uncertain as he has been dealing with an ongoing wrist injury. If Monfils is able to beat Del Potro, he’ll send a strong message to the rest of the tour. But his career has been saturated by disappointing inconsistency. Monfils will show up one match and make you a believer, only to throw it away in the next round.

The issue has absolutely nothing to do with ability. The skills Monfils possesses on a tennis court are supremely unique and resist comparison to almost anyone. The question, of course, is whether he can enhance his mental game so that it stands as an equal with the rest of his tennis. Monfils is so accustomed to approaching each match as if were a competitive exhibition that an adjustment of mentality at this point in his career might be hard to achieve.

Since he is now 27, 2014 may prove to be a watershed year for the Frenchman—for better or for worse. As of this moment, it appears that his best tennis may still be ahead of him, but it’s hard not consider that this recent success may just end up being a temporary ascension.

In order for Monfils to achieve longer-lasting success, he needs to hone his focus on himself. What has made Gael Monfils such an attractive player to support but also a coach’s nightmare, is his connection with the crowd. He has a distinct affinity for the theatrical and for producing highlight-reel shots, much to the pleasure of fans. But this desire to be a crowd pleaser often causes Monfils to make a mockery of shots, points, and even entire matches.

What the Frenchman needs to do is channel his play more towards the sublime (and steady) than the ridiculous. At the end of the day, while coming up with jaw-dropping shots is fun, most players find that it’s not as much fun as winning.

The Frenchman doesn’t have a high quantity of points to defend for the rest of the season, which should help to facilitate his upwards push in the rankings. After winning Montpellier, Monfils is ranked 23rd in the world. If he plays his cards right and manages his body correctly on and off the court, don’t be surprised if he makes a push for the top 10.