Gael Monfils wins 2025 ASB Classic, makes this record: Details
What's the story
Gael Monfils has written his name in the history books by becoming the oldest man to win a tour-level title. The 38-year-old Frenchman accomplished the milestone at the ASB Classic in Auckland on Saturday, breaking Ken Rosewall's record from 1977. Monfils defeated Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-4 in the ATP 250 hard-court final, winning his first title since the 2023 BNP Paribas Nordic Open.
Victory reflections
Monfils reflects on historic victory and passion for tennis
In his post-match interview, Monfils was joyous and determined. He said, "It means a lot [to win]. Age is a number," adding he still believes he could play high-quality tennis. Looking back at his career, he said "[My first title] was 20 years ago. I still have the passion to play tennis." This win was Monfils's 13th tour-level title, proving he's still got it.
Match breakdown
Monfils's strategy and performance in historic match
Monfils took an early lead in the match, securing a 4-1 advantage in just 24 minutes. He relied on his powerful serves and capitalized on Bergs's mistakes, who won only 33% of his second-serve points in the initial set. The Frenchman kept an aggressive stance from the baseline throughout the second set, using his experience to defeat Bergs in one hour and 37 minutes.
Upcoming challenges
Monfils's journey to Australian Open
Following his historic win, Monfils is now gearing up for the 2025 Australian Open. He will take on Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in an all-French first-round clash. Despite the defeat, Bergs's journey to his first tour-level final has propelled him to a career-high No. 60 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. The 25-year-old Belgian had upset seventh seed Nuno Borges in the semi-finals before meeting Monfils.
Information
ASB Classic final: Decoding the match stats
Monfils doled out four aces compared to his opponent's two. However, he committed more double faults (4-3). He had an 85% win on the first serve and 68% win on the 2nd. He converted 2/5 break points.
Twitter Post
Twitter Post
Worth the wait.
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 11, 2025
🏆 No. 13@Gael_Monfils | @ASB_Classic | #ASBClassic25 pic.twitter.com/c2aayHGGQc