French tennis player Gaël Monfils won Saturday January 11 at the ATP 250 in Auckland, New Zealand, the 13th title of his career. At 38 years and four months, he becomes the oldest winner on the main circuit since 1977.
The 52nd player in the world beat Belgian Zizou Bergs (66th) 6-3, 6-4who played his first ATP final at the age of 25, to win his first trophy since the ATP 250 in Stockholm, in October 2023. He became oldest player to win a main circuit tournament since the Australian Ken Rosewall, winner in 1977 in Hong Kong at over 43 years old.
Gaël Monfils has “zero dates” in mind to end his own career, he confided in December 2024.I don’t have a specific goal other than having fun, try to win as many matches as I can,” he said. His contemporaries Gilles Simon (40) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (39) have put away their rackets, while Richard Gasquet (38) plans to do so at spring 2025, after Roland-Garros.
A week after the surprise triumph of Alexandre Müller (56th) in Hong Kong, this victory in Auckland confirms the good start to the season for French players and is ideal preparation before the Australian Open which will take place from January 12 to 26.
In Melbourne, where he reached the quarter-finals twice (2016 and 2022), Gaël Monfils will challenge his compatriot Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (30th) in the first round.
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