In a stunning comeback, 38-year-old French tennis legend Gael Monfils mounted a two-set comeback to overcome Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien in the first round of the 2025 Roland Garros.
The Court Philippe-Chatrier audience cheered as Monfils nailed the winning point, his determined face reflecting relief and elation.
Entering the match, Gael Monfils had not only a younger professional facing him off but also the burden of expectations and the strain of a long, injury-plagued career. At 38, while many professionals tend to retire, particularly on the grueling red clay of Paris, Monfils had other ideas.
After losing the first two sets to Dellien, who was hitting cleanly and moving smoothly, Monfils was on the brink of a straight-set loss. But anyone who has followed the Frenchman’s career knows that it is a mistake to count him out too early.
Gael Monfils went deep into the third set. The turning point of the match changed entirely halfway into the third set; it was Monfils’ intimidation-induced break of serve plus a primal scream. Top this with a fist pump, which electrified both him and the French crowd.
He claimed the third set, then the fourth, and before the fifth started, the momentum was no longer in his competitor’s favor. Dellien, though resilient, was unable to regain the upper hand as Monfils made the court a theater of power and passion.
When Monfils finally won the decisive set, the stadium blew up. It wasn’t only the outcome that precipitated such a tidal wave of reaction — it was what it symbolized. At 38, Monfils proved that age is merely a number if driven by heart and passion for the game.
