MELBOURNE, Australia — In a remarkable display of skill and resilience, Gael Monfils became one of the few men to progress to the fourth round of the Australian Open at the age of 38, following in the footsteps of Roger Federer. Monfils achieved this milestone by overcoming the No. 4 seed, Taylor Fritz, with a score of 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1), 6-4 on Saturday afternoon.
Following his thrilling victory, Monfils made his way to the stands of the Margaret Court Arena, where he cheered on his wife, Elina Svitolina, as she triumphed over the women’s No. 4 seed, Jasmine Paolini. Svitolina secured her spot in the next round with a comeback victory, finishing at 2-6, 6-4, 6-0. Monfils playfully remarked, “I warmed up the court for her,” eliciting laughter and joy from the crowd.
Elina Svitolina, reflecting on her match, mentioned, “I got inspired after my husband’s win. I watched a little bit.”
The match was a showcase of Monfils’ tenacity, highlighted by a powerful 134 mph (215 kph) ace, marking his 24th of the contest—double the amount recorded by Fritz. Monfils celebrated with a dance at the baseline, igniting roars of applause and waving French flags among the thousands of fans in attendance.
Fritz, acknowledging Monfils’ prowess said, “It was really tough to hurt him. He just got back everything,” adding, “It seemed almost too easy for him to hurt me, for how much I was struggling to hurt him. He played really, really well. Not too much I could do.”
Kicking off his season on a high note, Monfils clinched a title at a hard-court event in Auckland, New Zealand, earning the distinction of being the oldest man to win a tournament since at least 1990. “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,” he noted. His Australian Open journey has been noteworthy, even though he has never proceeded past the quarterfinals at this Grand Slam, having reached the semifinals at two majors, most recently in 2016 at the U.S. Open.
Roger Federer was slightly older during his semifinal appearance at Melbourne Park in 2020, which marked his final tournament at this venue. Monfils will face a significantly younger rival next, as he takes on 22-year-old Ben Shelton, the 21st-seeded American who triumphed over No. 16 seed Lorenzo Musetti from Italy with scores of 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5).
Exhibiting his characteristic entertaining play throughout the match, Monfils showcased an impressive performance with 58 winners compared to 34 unforced errors, only dropping one service game. He won 11 out of the 15 points he played at the net, while Fritz managed a lesser 16 out of 30.
“I’ve done the job,” Monfils affirmed confidently.
For Fritz, the defeat marked the end of his run as the highest-seeded man to exit the tournament this year, following his recent success as the runner-up to Jannik Sinner at the U.S. Open. During the match, Fritz received treatment for his right foot, hinting at some struggles during play. Monfils’ victory also snapped a disappointing 12-match losing streak against top-five players at Grand Slam tournaments.
