Gaël Monfils delivered a memorable performance at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 tournament, showcasing his enduring talent at the age of 37. The Frenchman stunned the tennis world by defeating world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling round of 16 match that was interrupted by rain. After losing the first set, Monfils made a remarkable comeback, winning the second set in a tie-break and ultimately taking the match with a final score of 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4. This victory marked a significant milestone for Monfils, making him the second oldest player to defeat a top 3 player, a feat previously achieved by Roger Federer in 2019.
However, Monfils' journey in the tournament came to an end shortly after, as he faced the Danish player Holger Rune. Despite winning the first set, Monfils could not maintain his momentum, ultimately losing to Rune with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Rune's victory sets him up for a quarter-final showdown against Britain's Jack Draper, who triumphed over Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime.
In other tournament highlights, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner advanced to the quarter-finals without playing, benefiting from the withdrawal of Australian Jordan Thompson. Sinner will now face Russian Andrey Rublev, while German Alexander Zverev and Polish Hubert Hurkacz also secured their spots in the next round, setting the stage for an exciting continuation of the tournament.
