“Sometimes I ask myself, why do I continue?”: How the love of tennis keeps Monfils young
Gael Monfils shares what keeps him going ahead of his first-round clash against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the 2025 Australian Open
On Saturday in Auckland, Gael Monfils became the oldest man to win a title on the ATP Tour since Ken Rosewall in 1977. Now, less than 24 hours later, he is in Melbourne preparing to begin his 2025 Australian Open campaign.
The Frenchman faces big-serving compatriot Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round on Tuesday, and shared that it’s matches like this which keep him motivated to play the sport at 38 years old.
“I love tennis, that’s inside me,” he said. “I am still passionate. I enjoy it as hard as before.”
“Tuesday’s match versus Mpetshi Perricard is exactly what I’m chasing. Good battles, good matches, good stories.
“A part of me is driven by family and friends, and is ready to put tennis behind. It’s a weird balance. When you win matches, it’s obvious to be there but when you don’t win, you ask yourself: why am I still playing? I can have that sometimes.
“I try to put everything on the table. Things will get harder over time. My daughter starts to express herself. When we don’t take her with us it’s harder and harder. Let’s see what future brings.”
Monfils reveals secret to longevity
When asked the secret to his 20-year-long career – Monfils won his first title in Sopot back in 2005 – the veteran replied enthusiastically.
“Work! I’m working lads. Nothing else. Work and work,” he said.
Would I lose or not it won’t change my life. His more. He plays his first Grand Slams.
“My team is great. My physical trainer does great work. End of 2024 was already better physically-wise. We started the pre-season pretty early because I was sick at some point (editor’s note: that’s why he didn’t play the Rolex Paris Masters). Thanks to him I move almost like I want to, I can follow all the sessions and be fit on D-Day. Nothing comparable with how I was in the past. But he was good enough to understand where my weaknesses were to erase them and adapt.”
Looking ahead to Tuesday’s match, Monfils also revealed another more subtle secret of his late-career success: he’s playing for the love of the sport, and while he competes hard, he knows that a loss isn’t the end of the world.
“Would I lose or not it won’t change my life. His more. He plays his first Grand Slams. If I win the match, that’s fine. If I lose, fine for me also, I’m back to practice. One thing for sure, I’ll give my 100 percent.
“This type of match is always funny. I’ve played millions of Grand Slam matches against good friends. We practiced a lot together but never met on Tour. He’s very kind, funny, balanced and I love his project. It’s my pleasure to see him play so well and meet him.”
