Ben Shelton sends touching message to Gael Monfils after Frenchman retires from Australian Open 4R encounter

Ben Shelton sent a touching message to Gael Monfils after the Frenchman retired during their Australian Open fourth-round match on Monday. The two faced off in a cracking affair, with all three sets being decided on tie-breakers.

Shelton won the first set 7-6 (3) before the Frenchman staged a comeback to pocket the second set with an identical scoreline. The third set went the young American’s way 7-6 (2), after which Monfils called it a day.

In his on-court interview, Shelton had some heartfelt words for Monfils and said he hoped to remain as fit as the Frenchman was at the age of 38.

“I’ve watched him since I was a little kid. I always say he has the greatest highlight tape of all time and you guys saw some of that tonight. At 38 years old, I hope I’m still walking without crutches. To push me the way he did today and entertain everyone in New Zealand and Australia in the way he has the last couple of weeks is so impressive,” Shelton said.

Gael Monfils was on an eight-match winning streak coming into the contest against Shelton and had made history in his previous match by stunning fourth-seed Taylor Fritz in the third round.

Shelton, now 22, said he hoped to be like Monfils towards the later stages of his career.

“I hope to be able to create memories like that with my family watching on at that age. It’s really special and unheard of in any sport,” he said.

Monfil's win against Taylor Fritz saw him become the third-oldest player to defeat a top-five-ranked opponent in a Major in 52 years.

Moreover, he had come into the Australian Open on a historical note after winning the ASB Classic in Auckland and becoming the oldest men's player to win a trophy on the ATP Tour since 1977.

---

Gael Monfils chooses family over Grand Slam ambitions: "My dream is to have an unbelievable family"

Gael Monfils had made a wholesome speech after his win against Fritz, which won hearts all around. When asked by a journalist whether he thought he could win the Australian Open, Monfils responded:

"Win? No. To be honest with you, it's not even a dream to win the tournament. My dream is to be old and with a lot of kids and healthy. That's your dream I guess, for me to win a Slam. I'll tell you my dream, my dream is to have an unbelievable family. Tennis is cool, you know. Of course, you want to have a goal and dream, whatever, but my dream is out there."

Monfils is married to fellow tennis player Elina Svitolina and the couple have a daughter named Skai. They are deemed as one the most adorable couples on the circuit by the fans, with Svitolina recently urging people to back Monfils during his match against Ben Shelton.

Though his campaign is over, Gael Monfils will be courtside cheering for Svitolina when she faces Madison Keys in the quarterfinal on Wednesday, January 22.