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Monfils Snares Second Stockholm Title

Gael Monfils, 37, became the oldest man to win the Stockholm Open. Photo credit: Rob Stone/@RobStoneTennis

Erupting in high hops behind the baseline, Gael Monfils was a man in motion even when the ball wasn’t in play.

In his 34th career final, Monfils clearly isn’t lacking competitive drive.

Two points from defeat in the tiebreaker today, Monfils stepped on the accelerator and sped to his 12th career title in Stockholm.

The 37-year-old Frenchman fended off qualifier Pavel Kotov 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-3 in a pulsating comeback at the Stockholm Open that was a win for the ages.

The 109th-ranked Monfils made a dual mark as both the oldest—and lowest-ranked—man to win Stockholm.

Returning to the winner’s circle, Monfils walked to his court-side box and embraced wife Elina Svitolina in the front row.

This committed comeback championship run comes 12 years after Monfils dispatched Bernard Tomic, Kevin Anderson, Milos Raonic and Jarkko Nieminen to capture the 2011 Stockholm championship. The 12-year gap between Stockholm titles is the longest championship gap in tournament history.

It is Monfils’ first ATP title since the 2022 Adelaide and shows the Frenchman has plenty of gas left in the tank. Monfils joins Roger Federer, Ivo Karlovic and Feliciano Lopez as the fourth man age 37 or older to capture an ATP championship since 1990.

Spare a thought for the 109th-ranked Kotov, who played through qualifying to reach his maiden ATP final. Level at 6-6 in the tiebreaker, Kotov was two points from being the first qualifier in two years to win an ATP title, but Monfils coaxed errors, snatched the second set, immediately broke to start the decider and never looked back improving his ATP finals record to 12-22.