Gael Monfils has just pulled off one of the biggest shocks of the Australian Open so far, knocking out Taylor Fritz in round three.
Monfils is trying to keep up with the modern game, although the Frenchman is expected to retire from tennis in the near future.
But ATP number 41 Monfils is not slowing down at the Australian Open, having just beaten fourth seed and 2024 US Open finalist Fritz.
Fritz had an injury worry before the match, having reached the third round in Melbourne without dropping a set.
But the American was shocked 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(1), 6-4 by Frenchman Monfils, who is now playing his 22nd season on tour.
Taylor Fritz says Gael Monfils will be ‘tough for anybody to beat’ at the Australian Open
The 38-year-old entered the Australian Open with victory at the ASB Classic, with Frtiz well aware of just how dangerous the veteran can be on his day.
Asked in his post-match press conference how far Monfils can go at the Grand Slam, Fritz replied: “Yeah, I mean, if he’s playing like that… obviously he’s come straight from winning a title, playing a whole tournament.
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“He had a five-setter in the first round. 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.
“Like I said, he’s returning all my serves, even when I’m hitting really good serves. The way he’s serving on top of that, plus how big he’s serving his second serve, it’s just really tough to play.”
What Taylor Fritz wishes he did differently in Australian Open loss to Gael Monfils
Fritz had been shining brightly in Melbourne and indeed prior to the Grand Slam, which he entered as the ATP number four and fourth seed.
And while Monfils emerged victorious at the ASB Classic in Auckland to start the season, the American was also successful, helping the USA win the United Cup.
He played a starring role alongside the likes of Coco Gauff, and took that form into Melbourne with straight set wins over Jenson Brooksby and Cristian Garin.
But he has now suffered a major upset early on, with Fritz also asked post-match if it felt different entering as world number four, and indeed if he thinks there are things he could have done differently on the court.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t say it’s too different, just approaching this tournament from any other tournament,” he said.
“I think I did a really good job approaching this tournament, to be honest. I played great. I’ve been playing great. I played really well my first two rounds. I played well today.
“Going back, it’s very nitpicky I think when I look at, it’s just certain points where he hits a really big second serve on a big point. I just wish I made it, but I’m nitpicking a lot on certain things in the match.
“Yeah, I mean, I played a bad game at… not even a bad game. I played two bad points in a service game in the second set at 5-6 when I got broken.
| Taylor Fritz | Gael Monfils | |
| 12 | Aces | 24 |
| 0 | Double faults | 4 |
| 67% | 1st serve in | 61% |
| 211km/h | Fastest serve | 215km/h |
| 44 | Winners | 58 |
| 36 | Unforced errors | 34 |
“Outside of that, there wasn’t much I think I did wrong, to be honest. Maybe some points in the tiebreaker I could have played a bit better.
“He still beat me 7-1 in the tiebreaker. There was a lot of points in the tiebreaker I just couldn’t do anything about.
“Yeah, it’s just one of those matches that I just felt like it was really tough to hurt him, even just get him off balance enough to find a way in, even into net, to finish points.
“I felt like I couldn’t hurt him enough to get into net. Just seemed like he had a much easier time hurting me.”
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