'Age is just a number': Monfils wins 13th Auckland title at over 38, makes tennis history

Monfils a une nouvelle fois défié le temps à Auckland. EPA/AAP – DARREN ENGLAND

French veteran Gaël Monfils won the 13th title of his career on Saturday at the ATP 250 in Auckland (New Zealand), becoming at 38 years and four months the oldest winner on the main circuit since 1977.

The world number 52 player beat Belgian Zizou Bergs (66th) 6-3, 6-4, who was playing his first ATP final at 25, to claim his first trophy since the ATP 250 in Stockholm, in October 2023. Thanks to his victory in Auckland, the Parisian became on Saturday the oldest player to win a tournament on the main circuit since Australian Ken Rosewall, winner in 1977 in Hong Kong at over 43 years.

The record for the oldest winner on the ATP circuit (created in 1990) was previously held by Swiss star Roger Federer, who won at home in Basel in 2019, at 38 years and 2 months. “Legend”, congratulated his compatriot Corentin Moutet (69th) on X.

For Lucas Pouille (104th), “keeping this physical shape and his movement skills at his age, it proves that he is made differently”. “He just has magic powers!” he exclaimed in Melbourne, on the eve of starting the Australian Open (January 12-26) against world No. 2 Alexander Zverev.

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“A great week for so many reasons”

“Age is just a number”, commented Monfils on the court. “I still believe that I can produce quality tennis, I showed it this week so I'm really happy”, he continued.

“It's been a great week for so many reasons. Of course the victory is magnificent”, but the Frenchman also showed “resilience in the face of adversity”, he congratulated himself after having almost been eliminated in his first match by the Spaniard Pedro Martinez (43rd).

Monfils started the match ideally on Saturday by breaking Bergs in his first service game, to quickly lead 3-0. He maintained his advantage to pocket the first set 6-3. In the second set, despite fierce resistance from the Belgian, an early break was once again enough for him to take the lead (6-4).

Mission plaisir

While his contemporaries Gilles Simon (40 years old) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (39) have put away their rackets, and Richard Gasquet (38) will do the same in the spring, Monfils has “zero date” in mind to end his own career, he confided to AFP in December. “I don't have a specific goal other than having fun, trying to win as many matches as I can win”, he said.

A week after Alexandre Müller's surprise triumph (56th) in Hong Kong, “La Monf's” victory in Auckland confirms the good start to the season for French players and is ideal preparation for the Australian Open. In Melbourne, where he has reached the quarter-finals twice (2016 and 2022), Monfils will challenge his compatriot Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (30th) in the first round.

The match will have the feel of a clash of generations against this formidable server, winner of the ATP 500 in Basel at the end of October, at just 21 years old. By premonitory coincidence, the two players were seated side by side on the plane to Australia, the cadet said. “What was funny is that he told me “I've had a 21-year career, you're 21″. That's when we quickly understood the gap between us”, smiles Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.