Monfils’ Auckland Exit Signals Farewell’s Gritty Dawn
Gael Monfils launches his final season with a three-set loss at the ASB Classic, blending nostalgia and resolve as younger foes press the veteran’s limits on New Zealand’s hard courts.
In Auckland‘s steady January warmth, Gael Monfils stepped onto the court for his last ASB Classic, the 39-year-old defending champion opening his 2026 farewell with a bid to echo last year’s triumph. He fell 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to Fabian Marozsan, the Hungarian’s steady baseline game exposing the toll of time on the Frenchman’s explosive style. The crowd’s murmurs carried a mix of applause and sighs, the air thick with the weight of endings as Monfils absorbed the defeat, his athletic bursts now shadowed by the season’s long arc.
Monfils arrived chasing the glow of 2025, when he became the oldest man to win a tour-level title since 1977, but Marozsan’s opportunistic returns turned rallies into grueling exchanges on the grippy hard courts. The surface’s medium pace rewarded patience, pinning Monfils deep with deep crosscourt shots that forced hurried inside-out forehands. Post-match, organizers presented him with a personalised Maori spear, a taiaha that captured the cultural embrace amid his reflective exit.
“I have great memories here. I have been playing here since an early age,” said Monfils, who made his first Auckland appearance in 2007. “I came when I was 20 and I’m finishing in my 40s… It’s been a long ride. It’s been a big honour for me to play here, a special country with great culture. I was fortunate to win this title. Auckland has a special place in my heart.”
Marozsan’s tactical edge unravels Monfils’ flair
Fabian Marozsan entered knowing the emotional stakes, his flat groundstrokes cutting through Monfils’ heavy topspin in the decider, where a consistent 1–2 pattern—serve into crosscourt forehand—neutralized the veteran’s retrievals. This marked his second win over Monfils in Auckland, leveling their head-to-head at 2-2 and earning a second-round clash with Casper Ruud. Monfils pushed back with down-the-line passes, but fatigue amplified errors on inside-in attempts, the Hungarian’s calm exploiting every lapse as the crowd’s energy pulled in conflicting directions.
Auckland farewells a legend Fabian Maroszan knocks out defending
Auckland farewells a legend
Fabian Maroszan knocks out defending champion Monfils 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round at the @ASB_Classic.#ASBClassic26 pic.twitter.com/3hQXj0ntHa— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 13, 2026
Last week, Monfils watched his wife Elina Svitolina claim the WTA 250 title here, mirroring his 2025 feat and adding a personal layer to his bow-out on January 13, 2026. Her pre-tournament words from him lingered, a shared dream half-fulfilled that bolsters his resolve amid the pressure. As Marozsan advances at the @ASB_Classic under #ASBClassic26, his poise hints at the rising generation testing Monfils’ encore.
Undercard battles mirror the farewell’s intensity
Elsewhere, Alex Michelsen clawed past Mariano Navone 2-6, 6-2
Elsewhere, Alex Michelsen clawed past Mariano Navone 2-6, 6-2, 7-5, his aggressive net approaches flipping momentum after an early stumble, setting an all-American meeting with Marcos Giron. Giron dismantled Alexandre Muller 6-2, 6-2, his flat returns thriving on the even bounce to pressure the baseline. These wins underscore Auckland’s demands: quick points to preserve energy, a blueprint for deeper runs that echoes Monfils’ tactical recalibration needs.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard fired 22 aces in a 6-3, 7-6(2) upset over Roberto Bautista Agut, the two-time champion’s defenses crumbling under the 6’8” Frenchman’s serve-volley raids. Next, he faces Cameron Norrie, the Brit born in Auckland with two finals here, where local knowledge could counter the big serve’s power much like Marozsan’s adjustments did against Monfils. The psychological edge lies in familiarity, steadying Norrie amid the pacey courts’ chaos.
Hamad Medjedovic, former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion, grinded through qualifying to edge Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2), his varied underspin keeping rallies alive for tiebreak winners. Awaiting third seed Jakub Mensik, the Serb’s resilience counters the power game, planting seeds of the next wave’s pressure on veterans like Monfils. These matches pulse with underdog fire, the draw’s unpredictability forging mental steel early in 2026.
Monfils’ path sharpens toward Melbourne’s glare
As the ASB Classic churns on, Monfils’ Auckland goodbye frames a season where every rally carries legacy’s freight, nostalgia clashing with the grind of one more push. Shorter points and sharper slice serves could disrupt foes like Marozsan, conserving his spark for the Australian Open’s majors. In a tour of surging talents, his story anchors the emotional core, transforming early stumbles into defiant momentum.
