Gael Monfils loses in 1st round in Auckland in likely his farewell season
- - Gael Monfils loses in 1st round in Auckland in likely his farewell season
January 13, 2026 at 5:09 AM
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Elina Svitolina of Ukraine stands with her husband, French tennis player Gael Monfils, after defeating Wang Xinju of China in the women's single final of the ASB Classic women's tennis tournament in Auckland, New Zealand on Sunday 11 Jan. 2026. (Alan Lee/Photosport via AP) ()
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Defending champion Gael Monfils lost his opening match at the ATP Tour stop in Auckland, New Zealand on Tuesday, three days after his wife Elina Svitolina won her 19th WTA Tour title on the same court.
The 39-year-old Frenchman lost 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to 26-year-old Hungarian Fabian Marozsan at the ASB Classic in what may be the first match of his farewell season.
Monfils won the Auckland title in 2025 and told his wife Elina before her final on Sunday “if you don’t win this year I don’t know what to tell you anymore.” Svitolina and Monfils are one of only a few husband and wife teams to have held ATP and WTA singles titles in the same tournament at the same time.
Monfils started strongly in his first tournament since September, winning the first set with a break in the 11th game. He sent down 10 aces in the match. Monfils lost his first service game in the second set as Marozsan pulled off two superb winners at the net and went on to lose the set 6-3.
Monfils put up a great fight in the third set. After dropping his serve in the fifth game, he broke back immediately and tested Marozsan with his power variation. But Marozsan achieved the crucial break at 5-4 and held to take the match in exactly two hours.
“It's always special to play against Gael. He's a legend and a great player,” Marozsan said.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Source: “AOL Sports”
