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Gael Monfils made history as the oldest ATP Tour winner

Posted on by Josh L
Gael Monfils made history as the oldest ATP Tour winner

Gael Monfils became the oldest ATP Tour singles winner when he won the ASB Classic in Auckland.

The 38-year-old defeated Belgium’s Ziza Bergs in the final 6-3 6-4 to complete an exceptional tournament ahead of the start of the Australian Open on Sunday.

Monfils’ win is historic, with the Frenchman replacing Roger Federer, who won his last title in Basel in 2019 at the age of 38 years and 74 days, as the oldest champion since the ATP was created in 1990.

He is also the oldest man to win a tour-level singles title since 43-year-old Australian Ken Rosewall in Hong Kong in 1977. Monfils was 38 years and 132 days old when he claimed his 13th tour title, which came 20 years after his victory. his first

Ahead of the tournament, the Frenchman spoke about his motivation to keep playing and said: “I love tennis.

“I love what I do, so of course all the sacrifices you make are easier. When you love something, it’s easier to keep pushing

“I’ve been enjoying myself since the first day I played tennis, and (at) 60 years old I’ll still feel that joy. Practice, it’s easy. It’s in the DNA. Staying fit is easy. It’s more of a journey.”

Monfils defeated Ziza Bergs in straight sets at the ASB Classic

Monfils defeated Ziza Bergs in straight sets at the ASB Classic (AFP via Getty Images)

After the victory in New Zealand, Monfils rose to 52nd place in the world ranking and is the oldest player in the top 100.

About his victory, he added: “Great pleasure. It is very special to have this 13th title. I won’t win much. It’s been over 20 years since I’ve played and it’s only been 13 times that I’ve won.

“This is another record. You’re always happy to have a record, but I want to do more, I want to play a little bit more, so why not win a little bit later.”

In the first round of the Australian Open, Monfils will meet Giovanni Mpetshi Perrikar, who is 17 years younger than him.