French veteran Gael Monfils has become the oldest player to win an ATP Tour title after beating Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-4 in Auckland.
Gael Monfils, at 38, captured the ATP title in Auckland, becoming the oldest winner before retiring from the Australian Open due to injury. Despite impressive performances, his long matches took a toll.
French tennis star Gaël Monfils became the oldest ever player to claim an ATP Tour singles title when he won the ASB Classic in Auckland on Saturday, surpassing the previous record set by Roger Federer in 2019.
Gael Monfils claimed his 13th ATP title in Auckland. The Frenchman played in his 35th ATP final and ousted Belgium's Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 37 minutes, lifting a trophy and writing history books.
Monfils was struggling with a back injury at the start of the fourth set as Ben Shelton advanced to the quarter-finals
Zizou Bergs is playing his first ATP Tour final, while Gael Monfils is competing in his 35th, at the ATP 250 in Auckland. But the Frenchman’s record in championship matches isn’t the strongest (12-22) and he’s nearing the end of his illustrious career.
The 19th-seeded Shelton looks to match his best major showing, a semifinal at the 2023 US Open. Earlier that year, Shelton advanced to the last eight Down Under on his first international trip. Fellow unseeded American, Tommy Paul, ultimately ended that run.
Former world number six Gael Monfils clinched a 7-6(5) 6-4 win over Nishesh Basavareddy in the Auckland Classic semi-finals on Friday to become the second-oldest player to reach an ATP Tour final since 1990.
Monfils upset fourth-seeded Taylor Fritz of the United States 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1), 6-4 in the third round at Melbourne, Australia. When Monfils made his Australian Open debut in 2005, Fritz, now 27 years old, was 7.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — French veteran Gael Monfils became the oldest player to win an ATP Tour title after beating Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-4 in Auckland on Saturday. Monfils claimed his 13th tour ...
Gael Monfils has joined Roger Federer as the only men to reach the Australian Open’s fourth round at age 38 or older since the tournament field expanded to 128 players in 1988