Gael Monfils hits milestone not seen at Monte Carlo for more than 50 years

Gael Monfils staged an impressive fightback against Tallon Griekspoor, keeping his Monte Carlo Masters run alive a little longer.

After dropping a tight first set, the 39-year-old stormed back to win 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 and book his place in the second round.

This season marks Monfils’ final year on tour, making this his last appearance in Monte Carlo before he retires.

The victory also set up a second-round clash with eighth seed Alexander Bublik.

Monfils made history by becoming just the fourth player to appear at the Monte Carlo Masters in four different decades – joining Roger Federer, Feliciano Lopez and Fabrice Santoro on that exclusive list. It’s a testament to both his longevity and the memorable moments he’s created throughout his career.

Gael Monfils is the oldest Monte Carlo match winner in over 50 years

Monfils, who recently turned 39, just became the oldest player to win a match at Monte Carlo since István Gulyás did it back in 1973.

The Hungarian, who was a finalist at the French Open in 1966, was 41 when he knocked off John Bartlett in the opening round. Gulyás didn’t stop there — he followed that up with another win over Wanaro N’Godrella before losing in straight sets to Harald Elschenbroich.

That year’s title went to Romanian great Ilie Nastase, who got past a young Bjorn Borg in the final.

As for Monfils, his next challenge will be against former top-10 player Alexander Bublik. Both are known for their flair on court and have played each other three times before on tour. Monfils leads their head-to-head 2-1, most recently winning at last year’s Washington Open.

This piece of history adds another chapter to what has been a long and memorable career for Monfils.

Gael Monfils’ first appearance at Monte Carlo

Monfils made his Monte Carlo debut in 2005, facing a first-round exit against Rafael Nadal, who would go on to dominate the tournament for over a decade.

It took until 2008 for Monfils to pick up his first win at the event. He broke through that year by defeating Fernando Verdasco and Ivo Karlovic on his way to the third round.

His best performance came in 2016 when he reached the final after wins over Marcel Granollers and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Nadal again proved a roadblock, winning their title match 7-5, 5-7, 6-0.

Reflecting on that defeat during his press conference, Monfils said: “What was lacking? Well, a few details. Today it was cloudy and it was more difficult to serve hard. I knew this would mean more rallies for his benefit, which means I would have fewer free points with my serve.”

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