Gael Monfils doesn’t dream of winning grand slam titles – but the 38-year-old veteran is just four wins away from the first of his career.
Monfils dreams of other things, off-court things. This tennis gig is great and all, but it’s not the centre of Monfils’ universe, and winning the 2025 Australian Open isn’t what he thinks of when he’s asked to dream big.
“Win? No. You know, to be honest with you, is not even my dream to win the tournament,” Monfils said. “My dream is to be old and with a lot of kids and healthy.”
The tennis veteran’s comments came after his third-round win over world No. 4 Taylor Fritz – Monfils’ first win against a top-five player at a grand slam since 2008 – but he shrugs it off when he’s reminded of this milestone.
“That’s your dream I guess, to win a slam,” he said. “I tell you my dream. My dream is to have an unbelievable family.
“Tennis is cool. Of course, you want to have a goal, dream, whatever. But my dream is out there [off court].”
Gael Monfils reacts after beating world No. 4 Taylor Fritz.Credit: AP
Monfils doesn’t like talking records or milestones, but he could tick off a few in the second week of the tournament, whether he likes it or not.
With Saturday’s win he became the first man aged 38 or older – not named Roger Federer – to reach the fourth round of a grand slam singles since 1991.
And if he went on to win the championship, he would supplant Ken Rosewall as the oldest man to win a grand slam singles title. Rosewall was 37 years, one month and 24 days when he won the 1972 Australian Open.
Federer’s somewhat unexpected Australian Open win in 2018, when the Swiss maestro was 36 years, five months and seven days, is next on the list.
“I don’t look at the stats; I feel like I’ve just been fortunate today to win,” Monfils said.
“Maybe, at my prime I was higher ranking, and I couldn’t maybe play the highest ranking before – maybe that’s why it is not so easy on the stats. I feel like numbers are numbers. On the court, you play a four, 10, 100, is a battle out there.”
A dejected Taylor Fritz walks off the court.Credit: Getty Images
The “prime” Monfils is talking about was when he was ranked No. 6 in 2016.
“I think I’m the best athlete at 38 years old on the tour,” Monfils joked. “That’s for sure.
“With my form now, I have more experience, so I can adjust myself. As you say, my game plan was a bit different [today]. I knew how to slow down, how to change rhythm a little bit. Unfortunately for him [Fritz], I felt actually great today with my movements, so I could hold this for a long time.”
Fritz tended to agree with the Frenchman, and said he didn’t have any answers for the questions Monfils asked on court.
“It’s just a really good match from him. He served incredible, mixed up his spots well. I never could get a read on where he was going to serve on a big point. He served a very high percentage, hit good spots,” Fritz said.
“When he didn’t make his first serve, he was serving huge second serves. Really tough for me to do anything on the second, even if I knew where it was going, it was really hard to return … It seemed almost too easy for him to hurt me for how much I was struggling to hurt him. He played really, really well.”
Monfils will face either American Ben Shelton or Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the fourth round.
And while Monfils doesn’t back himself to win the title, Fritz thought he was a real threat, especially after his title in Auckland, where Monfils became the oldest singles champion since the ATP tour was formed in 1990.
“I forget that he’s 38 because obviously when I came on tour he was still one of the young guys. I don’t think I think of it like that,” Fritz said.
“Today’s match was physical, it was hot. If he can continue to play like how he played today for five sets, I think he’s going to be tough for anybody to beat.”
