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Gael Monfils made history by becoming the oldest winner of an ATP Tour singles title with victory at the ASB Classic in Auckland.<\/b><\/p>\n
France’s Monfils beat Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-3 6-4 in the final to claim his 13th tour-level title.<\/p>\n
At 38 years and four months old, Monfils has become the oldest singles champion since the ATP Tour was formed in 1990.<\/p>\n
Swiss great Roger Federer previously held the record – he was 38 years and two months old when he won the Basel title in 2019.<\/p>\n
“It means a lot. Age is a number,” said Monfils.<\/p>\n
“But we keep working. I keep believing that I can play high-quality tennis and I have been showing it this week so I am very happy.”<\/p>\n
The victory in Auckland also sees Monfils become the oldest man to win a tour-level title since 43-year-old Ken Rosewall won in Hong Kong in 1977.<\/p>\n
“I don’t win a lot. It’s been more than 20 years I’ve been playing and it’s just 13 times I ended up winning,” Monfils added.<\/p>\n
The world number 52, who won his first title in 2005, will now travel to Melbourne for the Australian Open, which starts on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Monfils faces 21-year-old rising star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in an all-French first-round tie.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n