Ready for the Australian Open: French veteran Gaël Monfils won the 13th title of his career on Saturday at the ATP 250 in Auckland (New Zealand), becoming at 38 years and four months the oldest winner on the main circuit since 1977.
The 52nd player in the world beat 6-3, 6-4 the Belgian Zizou Bergs (66th), who was playing his first ATP final at the age of 25, to win his first trophy since the ATP 250 in Stockholm, in October 2023.
Thanks to his victory in Auckland, the Parisian on Saturday became the oldest player to win a tournament on the main circuit since the Australian Ken Rosewall, winner in 1977 in Hong Kong at over 43 years old.
On the eve of the Australian Open (January 12-26), Monfils started the game ideally by breaking Bergs in his first service game, to quickly lead 3-0. He maintained his advantage to pocket the first set 6-3.
In the second set, the right-hander broke his opponent again in the third game (2-1).
Bergs had several opportunities to break the break at 3-2 then at 5-4 but did not convert them, letting his elder brother slip away to win the second set (6-4) and the tournament.
While his contemporaries Gilles Simon (40 years old) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (39) have put away their rackets, and Richard Gasquet (38) plans to do so in the spring of 2025, after Roland-Garros, Monfils has “zero date” in mind to end his own career, he confided to AFP in December.
“I don’t have a specific goal other than having fun, trying to win as many matches as I can”he said.
Shock of generations
A week after the surprise triumph of Alexandre Müller (56th) in Hong Kong, the victory of “The Monf” in Auckland confirms the good start to the season for French players and represents an ideal preparation before the Australian Open.
In Melbourne, where he reached the quarter-finals twice (2016 and 2022), Monfils will challenge his compatriot Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (30th) in the first round.
The match will have the feel of a clash of generations against this formidable server, winner in particular of the ATP 500 in Basel at the end of October, at only 21 years old.
“It’s a bit of a shame to play him in the first round”lamented « Gio » Friday in Melbourne.
“He’s someone I really like and I would have liked us to go as far as possible. But it’s tennis! »he put it into perspective.
By coincidence, the two players were seated side by side on the plane to Australia, the cadet said.
“What was funny was that he said to me, ‘I’ve had a 21-year career, you’re 21.’ That’s when we quickly understood the gap between the two of us”sourit Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Related News :