Monfils: The battle of the 39-year-old boy against the backlight, a sword in ten years and a legend again

The summer night in Paris was lit up by the lights of the tennis courts, and when the clock pointed to 6 a.m. Beijing time, the last fighter of the day at the Philippe Chartier court ended the three-hour and 36-minute battle with a backhand diagonal. The 39-year-old French veteran won three sets in a row from a desperate two-set deficit to defeat Drion 4-6 3-6 6-1 7-6 6-1 to complete his 12th career French Open five-set victory, a figure that is the highest in the Open era.

The last time Monfils performed the miracle of "letting two chase three" at a Grand Slam was back at the 2015 Australian Open. At that time, he was still the "Black Panther" who was famous for his exaggerated split and save the ball, and now, ten years later, his sideburns have been dyed with frost, and his knees need thick muscle support, but the fire in his eyes has never been extinguished. Against a young Drien, Monfils was crushed by his opponent's powerful forehand in the first set and missed a number of crucial points in the second, but the turning point came after a 26-beat round in the third set, when he forced a break point with a crossing ball, and the crowd stood up and chanted "Allez Monfils!" (Come on Monfils!) ）”

"I know time is not on my side, but every inch of red clay in Paris remembers my steps." After the game, Monfils pointed to his chest and said. From the third set onwards, he deliberately slowed down, wearing down his opponent with deeper drops and trickier cuts, while Drion's turnovers increased like an avalanche. In the deciding set, Monfils even showed off his trademark "backhand around the column", as if going back in time to the summer when he was 20 years old.

It was Monfils' 12th five-set win at the French Open, surpassing all of its predecessors and topping the Open era standings. From an 18-year-old genius born in 2005 to a veteran who is still holding on in 2025, his career resonates almost at the same frequency as this red clay. "He's like a bard who writes poetry on a tennis ball." The French media "Team Newspaper" once commented, "And the French Open is his epic." ”

Behind the numbers, there are countless suffocating moments: a narrow victory over Gulbis in 5 hours and 04 minutes in 2014, a reversal of compatriot Amber with an injury in 2020, and tonight's 38-year-old "reversal of old age". When asked the secret, he smiled and pointed to his temple: "Young people think that the five-set battle is a physical problem, but in fact, it is here that fights in the end. ”

After the game, Drion took the initiative to walk to the net and hugged Monfils. "He reminds me of myself 10 years ago, full of energy but impatient." Monfils quipped in an interview.

In the next round, Monfils will face No. 5 seed Drapa, and whether this will be the last night match of his career at the French Open, no matter what the outcome, no one dares to underestimate the "forever Meng Shaoxia". "As soon as I stand on the court, I feel like I'm still the teenager chasing the wind." He said.

As the morning sun of Paris swept across the roof of the court, Monfils bent down to kiss the red clay beneath his feet. Time took away his explosiveness, but never his love and stubbornness. On this night, Roland Garros once again proved that there are legends that never fade. (Source: Tennis Home Author: Mei)