Gaël Monfils made magic in Melbourne. Is his best yet to come?

It was darn impressive on its own to see 38-year-old Gaël Monfils start 2024 with a title run in Auckland. After all, to win a tournament in his late 30s put Monfils in the company of such rare masters of longevity as Ken Rosewall, Connors, Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.

But then came even more Monfils magic at the Australian Open. Movement, variety, and joy were all present in the Frenchman’s run to the round of 16.

Monfils turned back the clock to pull of an impeccable upset of No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz at the 2025 Australian Open.

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His three victories came versus formidable opponents—a five-set epic versus promising Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, a straight-set dismantling of dangerous Daniel Altmaier, then another five-set win, this time over fourth-seeded Taylor Fritz.

“Play big player, big stadium, good crowd, good energy,” said Monfils following the Fritz match. “When you're 38 years old, is what I want. I had it. I was very fortunate to win it.” Ranked No. 76 prior to last year’s Australian Open, Monfils now stands at 32. There is a saying that a light bulb burns brightest before it burns out. Let us hope for more such incandescence from Monfils as ’25 rolls forward.