Gael Monfils made history on Saturday by joining Roger Federer as the only men to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open at 38 years or older since the tournament expanded to 128 players in 1988. Monfils made an impressive comeback to defeat No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1), 6-4.
After his win, Monfils stayed at Margaret Court Arena to watch his wife, Elina Svitolina, in action. Svitolina triumphed over No. 4 seed and two-time major finalist Jasmine Paolini 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Monfils jokingly said, “I warmed up the court for her,” while Svitolina credited her husband’s victory as the inspiration for her own performance, adding, “I watched a little bit.”
Monfils celebrated his victory with a 134 mph (215 kph) ace, his 24th of the match—double the number of Fritz’s aces—and then performed a joyful dance at the baseline as fans cheered, waving French flags.
Fritz admitted that it was difficult to break Monfils’ game, saying, “It was really tough to hurt him. He just got back everything.” He added, “It felt like I wasn’t even hitting. It seemed almost too easy for him to hurt me, especially considering how much I was struggling to do the same to him. He played really, really well. There wasn’t much I could do.”
Monfils kicked off his season by winning a hard-court title in Auckland, New Zealand, becoming the oldest man to claim a tournament victory since at least 1990.
He attributed his success to hard work and discipline, particularly in recovery, saying, “Just fortunate. But every day is different. We work hard. I try to be very disciplined with the recovery. I am a strong believer in myself. Strong belief I can do some damage.” Monfils, who has never advanced past the quarterfinals at the Australian Open but has reached two major semifinals, including at the 2016 U.S. Open, added, “With a little luck, here we are in the second week of the Australian Open.”
Federer, who was slightly older than Monfils at 38, reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2020, which turned out to be his last appearance at the tournament.
Monfils will next face 22-year-old Ben Shelton, the 21st-seeded American who triumphed over No. 16 seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5).
In his victory against Taylor Fritz, Monfils showcased his trademark energetic and entertaining style of tennis, playing before a lively crowd. He posted an impressive 58 winners to just 34 unforced errors, while also losing only one service game. Monfils also excelled at the net, winning 11 of 15 points, while Fritz managed only 16 of 30 when he came forward.
“I’ve done the job,” Monfils said after the match.
Fritz, the 27-year-old runner-up to Jannik Sinner at the U.S. Open in September, became the highest-seeded male player to exit the tournament at Melbourne Park this year. During the match, Fritz received treatment for his right foot.
Monfils’ win also marked the end of a 12-match losing streak against top-five players at Grand Slam events.