Gael Monfils has dismissed any talk of winning the Australian Open after he knocked out Taylor Fritz in the third round.
The 38 year-old cannot stop winning as he is yet to lose a match in 2025 and continued that streak with a 3-6 7-5 7-6 6-4 win over fourth seed Taylor Fritz.
An incredible victory for Monfils who has backed up his Auckland title in style and is into the second week of the Australian Open for the sixth time in his career.
After the match Monfils said he relishes playing on the big stadiums and spoke about whether he is the best athlete on tour, “I keep playing for those matches. Play big player, big stadium, good crowd, good energy,” Monfils said in his press conference.
“When you’re 38 years old, is what I want. I had it. I was very fortunate to win it. It’s exactly why I’m playing. I think I’m the best athlete at 38 years old on the tour, yes. That for sure. Then on the mental, I don’t really know this. I’m not sure. And we’ve been laughing with friend. I say, I don’t know about that. But of course, every 38-year-old, that’s my friend that I know, I have been better than them. This is just my win.
“The rest of the tour, I don’t really care, to be honest, because I feel that I was better in my prime, for sure. But with my form now, I have more experience, so I can adjust myself. As you say, my game plan was a bit different. I knew how to slow down, how to change rhythm a little bit.
“Unfortunately for him, I felt actually great today with my movements, so I could hold this for long time.”
An incredible win for Monfils and it’s only natural in a win like this for the Frenchman to start dreaming about what could happen in the second week.
However Monfils has dismissed all talk of winning the title and says his only dream is a healthy family, “Win? No, you know, to be honest with you, is not even a dream to win the tournament. My dream is to be old and with a lot of kids and healthy,” Monfils admitted.
“That’s your dream, I guess, to win slam. I tell you my dream. My dream is to have an unbelievable family. Tennis is cool. Of course, you want to have goal, dream, whatever. But my dream is out there.”
Monfils will play either Ben Shelton or Lorenzo Musetti for a spot in the quarter-finals.
