Gael Monfils, the charismatic French tennis star, has announced that 2026 will be his final season on the ATP tour, a decision he reflects upon at the age of 39. His farewell tour, however, kicked off with a disappointing defeat at the ASB Classic in Auckland, where he fell to Hungary’s Fabian Marozan in a closely contested first-round match, finishing 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. This match marked a bittersweet chapter in Monfils’ career, especially after his victory at the same event the previous year, which made him the oldest champion of an ATP singles title since 1977.
In a tribute to his enduring presence in New Zealand tennis, Monfils was honored with a personalized Māori spear, a gesture that signifies the special connection he feels to the country. Reflecting on his long history with the Auckland tournament, Monfils reminisced, “I have great memories here. It’s been a long ride. Auckland has a special place in my heart.” This emotional farewell was amplified by his wife Elina Svitolina’s recent triumph at the same tournament, further linking their personal and professional journeys.
As the tournament progresses, Marozan will prepare for a second-round clash against the second seed, Casper Ruud.
In other notable first-round matches at the ASB Classic, American players Alex Michelsen and Marcos Giron also secured spots in the second round. Michelsen, fresh off a semi-final appearance in Brisbane, turned around a challenging match against Mariano Navone, winning 2-6, 6-2, 7-5, while Giron cruised past Alexandre Muller with a decisive 6-2, 6-2 victory, setting up an all-American matchup.
The tournament saw Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, a towering Frenchman standing at 6’8”, stun two-time champion Roberto Bautista Agut with a powerful performance that included 22 aces, leading to a 6-3, 7-6(2) victory. He will next face Cameron Norrie, a local favorite and two-time Auckland finalist.
Norrie made a successful start in Auckland, defeating French qualifier Hugo Gaston 6-3, 6-4, while Serbia’s Hamas Mejedovic, a former Next Gen champion, continued his strong showing by overcoming Aleksander Kovacevic 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2) after coming through the qualifying rounds.
Sebastian Baez also kept his perfect season record intact by battling past American qualifier Emilio Nava, winning 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 to move into the second round, where he will face Jenson Brooksby. Brooksby advanced after defeating New Zealand wild card James Watt 6-4, 6-3.
In other matches, Francisco Comesana outplayed Frenchman Valentin Royer, winning 6-4, 6-4, which sets up a meeting with top-seeded American Ben Shelton. Additionally, American qualifier Eliot Spizzirri achieved a career highlight by defeating World No. 69 Adrian Mannarino from France with a score of 6-4, 6-3.
As the tournament unfolds, fans will be closely watching both the emotional farewell of Monfils and the promising young talents making their mark on the ATP stage.
