Gael Monfils defied the odds and put on a show in his home country at the French Open late on Tuesday night.
Monfils, the oldest male player on tour at age 38, survived and pummeled through his first-round match against Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien to win 4–6, 3–6, 6–1, 7–6, 6–1. It was a five-set thriller, one that looked difficult for Monfils to bounce back from after dropping the first two sets.
But, it definitely helped having the fans at Court Philippe-Chatrier on his side under the lights as the match went on until around midnight. After the match, Monfils, in his iconic fashion, let out a loud roar to celebrate.
WHAT IT MEANS 🗣️#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/YLMzAXx5fj
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2025
Just listen to that crowd erupt for the Frenchman as he won the final point of the match.
🔊💙🤍❤️🔥🔊 #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/nFsqp5Gnv0
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2025
This was Monfils's 12th five-set win at Roland Garros in his career, which is a record for men's tennis players in the Open Era.
Monfils will have another tough matchup ahead of him as he will face World No. 5 Jack Draper in the second round on Thursday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Gael Monfils Has Iconic Reaction to Winning Five-Set Thriller at French Open.
