"My wife is playing, my daughter is waiting for me" - Gael Monfils gets real about how he's 'lucky' to have his life

Gael Monfils has been around for a very long time, as the first final he played was in Sopot in 2005. The most recent final he played was in Auckland in 2024, almost two decades later. It’s been a long and successful career for Monfils, who won the Auckland event, securing his 13th trophy in the 35th final he played.

Being able to play at this age is certainly a blessing for Monfils. Injuries have negatively impacted a career many expected to be even greater than it ultimately ended up being. For Monfils, though, things are pretty good as he's still playing and still winning matches, which is what he enjoys the most (via Australian Open Press):

“I'm happy. I'm a competitive guy. I love competition, so l'm happy. A win is a win. Frankly, with you, I'm happy with everything now, you know, but maybe that's why, you know, I'm even smoother. I always smooth, but I lose this match, I wait couple more days. You know, I'm lucky to be here."

"My wife is playing. My daughter is waiting for me. I'm happy with my life. I won this match. I'm crazy happy. I have another chance to come out and play in a packed stadium. Everything is a win now, so, you know, no pressure on me,” Gael Monfils added.

Monfils, at 38, is one of the oldest players on tour. But he's still very competitive, becoming a champion recently in Auckland.

---

Gael Monfils is enjoying a second youth

Very few players have been able to win trophies at Gael Monfils' age. In fact, by winning the Auckland trophy, he became the oldest ATP champion ever at 38 years and 132 days. After that triumph, he acknowledged that age is just a number and so far he has been proving it. He followed that performance up with a win over rising sensation Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in five sets and looks set to continue playing well in the coming weeks.

Time will tell how far Monfils will be able to go, but it's pretty clear that 38 for him is just a number because he's playing as well as he was when he was 28.