Australian Open: John McEnroe says man of the moment Gael Monfils one of 'three best players not to win a major'
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Published 18/01/2025 at 20:08 GMT
Gael Monfils hit the headlines at the Australian Open on Saturday with a stunning shock win over fourth seed Taylor Fritz. The 38-year-old's performance - and post-match dance - caught the attention of Eurosport expert John McEnroe, who explained why he thinks Monfils is one of the "three most talented players not to win a major." However, Monfils himself downplayed his chances of the title.
'A brilliant strategic match' - McEnroe hails Monfils' shock win against Fritz
Video credit: TNT Sports
John McEnroe hailed Gael Monfils as "one of the three most talented guys never to win a major" after the French veteran’s stunning Australian Open win over Taylor Fritz.
The 38-year-old produced the upset of Day 7 by coming from a set down to beat the No. 4 seed and US Open runner-up in four sets.
Monfils, who crowned his win with some celebratory dance moves, left it late in his career to earn his first win over a top-four player at a Grand Slam.
The Frenchman’s variation and flair proved too much for Fritz, who arrived in Melbourne as one of the contenders for the title.
Speaking to Eurosport after the match, McEnroe explained just how highly he rated Monfils, who has never gone beyond the quarter-finals at the Australian Open.
"He had a brilliant strategic match. No one can match his dancing ability on the court, that's for sure. The guy's unbelievable," McEnroe said.
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Legend Monfils downs Fritz in huge shock - Australian Open highlights
Video credit: TNT Sports
"But he out-served Fritz, which I didn't think would happen. He managed the heat as well, better than Fritz. He had a great strategy and put him in an uncomfortable position, mixed up his pace with attacking when he needed to. Absolutely fantastic.
"I can't believe Monfils is playing this well this late in his career. But to me he's one of the three most talented guys never to win a major.
"Him, [Nick] Kyrgios and [Alexander] Zverev, to me, are the three most (talented) and he's played as if he believes he has a shot. I can't believe he's playing this well this late."
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Two-time Australian Open champion Jim Courier was stunned by Monfils’ performance and admitted that he "didn’t see this one coming".
It was a particularly special day for the Frenchman, because the next match on Margaret Court Arena saw his wife Elina Svitolina knock out Jasmine Paolini to reach the fourth round too.
"This is a guy who has had a lot of bad luck with injuries, we know the talent is there, we know the wheels even at his advanced age, he moves and covers the court so well," Courier said.
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Monfils ‘would have won Slam’ with tennis he showed in Fritz win – Wilander
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"But I don’t think many people saw this one coming. Taylor Fritz has become such a consistent competitor, a finalist at the US Open and Monfils handles him in four sets.
"Maybe the off-court aspect, having some joy in his life being a husband, a father, maybe puts things into perspective. That was one of the best celebrations after the match too. This guy is so cool, he’s awesome."
Monfils: Winning title 'not even a dream'
Monfils himself was quick to talk down his chances of going on to win the title in a field that still boasts the top three seeds Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz, not to mention 10-time champion Novak Djokovic.
Asked in his post-match press conference if he could win the tournament, Monfils said: "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."
"I think I'm the best athlete at 38 years old on the tour," a smiling Monfils added.
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'I can still do some damage' - Monfils reacts to stunning upset win over Fritz
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"That for sure. Then on the mental [side], I don't really know this. I'm not sure.
"This is just my win. The rest of the tour, I don't really care, to be honest, because I feel that I was better in my prime, for sure.
"But with my form now, I have more experience, so I can adjust myself. As you say, my game plan was a bit different.
"I knew how to slow down, how to change rhythm a little bit. Unfortunately for him, I felt great today with my movements, so I could hold this for a long time."
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