Monfils Stuns with Five-Set Comeback at Roland Garros
A dramatic first-round match at Roland Garros saw Gael Monfils produce a stunning comeback to defeat Hugo Dellien 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-1, as reported by the ATP Tour. The 38-year-old Frenchman recovered from a two-sets-to-love deficit to secure his 40th match win at the clay-court major, tying Yannick Noah for most victories at the event among Frenchmen in the Open Era.
According to the ATP Tour, Monfils’ match began in a frightening manner, as he fell during the fifth point of the opening set, crashing into the sidewall and slamming his right knee into the court signage. The ATP Tour reports that Monfils let go of his racquet while falling onto the clay, grimacing in pain as the chair umpire checked on him. Despite the early scare, Monfils took a medical timeout and received treatment on his right knee and both hands. The No. 42 player in the PIF ATP Rankings dropped serve the following game and eventually fell to a 5-2 deficit.
However, as noted by the ATP Tour, Monfils refused to give up, fighting his way back to get back on serve before Dellien secured the first set 6-4 inside Court Philippe-Chatrier. The ATP Tour states that Dellien faced physical struggles of his own as the match wore on, with the 31-year-old hampered by cramps and struggling to move freely in the third set. Monfils capitalised on his opponent’s struggles, fighting back into the match and bringing the home crowd alive with his vintage defence and shotmaking skills.
The ATP Tour reports that Monfils’ comeback gained momentum as he took control of the match, holding his nerve in the fourth-set tie-break to level the match. The Frenchman then dominated the fifth set, racing to a 5-0 lead before closing out the dramatic win after three hours and 35 minutes. This victory marked Monfils’ 12th five-set win at Roland Garros.
As per the ATP Tour, Monfils will next face fifth seed Jack Draper, who leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 1-0. The ATP Tour notes that Monfils improved to 17-7 on the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. This impressive win will surely give Monfils confidence as he looks to progress further in the tournament.
In a remarkable display of resilience, Monfils overcame a tough opponent and his own physical struggles to secure a hard-fought victory. The ATP Tour quotes a tweet from their official account, which read: "That’s that Gael Monfils energy. He weathers the storm from two sets down to overcome Dellien 4-6 3-6 6-1 7-6(4) 6-1." This win will surely be one of the highlights of the tournament so far, and fans will be eagerly anticipating Monfils’ next match.
The ATP Tour provided the information for this article, which can be found on their website: https://www.atptour.com/en/news/monfils-roland-garros-2025-fall.
