Age is just a number and that sentiment has never been more accurate when it comes to ATP star Gael Monfils.
The French performer rolled back the years in Miami, beating Hungarian star Fabian Marozsan in three sets.
It saw Monfils continue a bright start to 2025 with the 38-year-old reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open back in January.
Taylor Fritz was put to the sword during that run in Melbourne and clearly, Monfils is playing extremely good tennis at the moment.
Monfils has claimed that winning a Grand Slam isn’t everything to him but quite clearly, he’s still got the fire in his belly to be competitive on a tennis court.
It wasn’t just victory for Monfils at the Miami Open but he’s also smashed a record that had been in existence for 33 years by coming through his first-round match.
Gael Monfils breaks 33-year record at the Miami Open
In beating Marozsan, Monfils became the oldest player to win a match at the Miami Open in 33 years.
It’s 20 years since the Frenchman made his debut at this tournament and it’s quite remarkable to see him not only turning out but also winning a match.
Jimmy Connors defeated Tomas Carbonell Llado in 1992 at the Miami Open and now Monfils slots in behind him on the list of oldest players to win a match at the tournament.
On that occasion, Pete Sampras thrashed Connors in the next round and Monfils will be looking to avoid a similar repeat when he takes on Jiri Lehecka tomorrow.
Monfils is currently the world number 42 and he’d dearly love to add a 14th career singles title to his tally before he strides off into the sunset.
The likeable player has never gone beyond the semi-final of a Grand Slam and his chances of lifting one of the game’s big prizes look to have evaporated.
However, staying sharp and fresh in the tournaments played over best of three sets could still be obtainable and on his day, he’s a very dangerous player.
What Gael Monfils said after beating Fabian Marozsan
It would appear that Monfils’ latest win which takes him second on the list of oldest players to win a match at the Miami Open is merely down to confidence.
Clearly, the player is in good spirits at the moment and that is making him a dangerous proposition for his opponents.
He said in the mixed zone afterwards: “Still the same from the beginning. Confidence is not about winning matches, of course, it helps. But confidence is the way you have been raised and the values you have.
“This is the confidence that I have been taught when I was young. So I thank my parents for that, I win matches and it’s great it gives me confidence, but tennis is tennis.”
Monfils might be coming to the end of his career but he’s now showing that the fire remains in his belly to achieve more success before the curtain comes down.
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