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.
