"He really understood life”: Paula Badosa shares Gael Monfils' heartfelt words about his dream

Paula Badosa echoed the words of Gael Monfils after his incredible Australian Open third-round performance. The 38-year-old made headlines on Saturday by eliminating world No. 4 Taylor Fritz (3-6, 7-5, 7-6, 6-4), the highest-ranked player to be eliminated in the men’s draw so far.

To add even more flavor to Monfils’ epic day, after his match on Margaret Court Arena, his wife Elina Svitolina entered the court for her own challenge, facing female world No. 4 Jasmine Paolini. Svitolina fought back from a set down to defeat the two-time Grand Slam finalist (2-6, 6-4, 6-0).

Svitolina and Monfils deliver stunning wins 

The tennis couple stole the spotlight in the fourth round by eliminating the first top-4 players from their respective draws. Monfils' victory was particularly surprising, especially since Fritz had looked like a strong contender, considering his two impressive wins in the first rounds, where he had conceded only 8 games in total across 6 sets.

Read also

John McEnroe praises Gael Monfils, calls him ‘one of most talented players’ to not win Grand Slam after outclassing Taylor Fritz at Australian Open

In the press conference, Monfils was asked whether he saw winning a Grand Slam title as a real possibility, but the Frenchman dismissed the idea, saying it wasn’t even something he dreams of. "My dream is to be old and with a lot of kids and healthy.”

“To be honest with you, it's not even a dream to win the tournament. That’s your dream, I guess, to win a slam. I tell you my dream. My dream is to have an unbelievable family. Tennis is cool. Of course, you want to have goals, dreams, whatever. But my dream is out there…”

Monfils’ response caught attention on social media, and former world No. 2 Paula Badosa shared a clip of Monfils' words. The Spaniard posted, “He really understood LIFE,” she commented.

Read also

Daily Dose of Social Media: Novak Djokovic endorses Elon Musk’s comments on media bias, Naomi Osaka looks back on Aussie Open

This Monday, Badosa will face third seed Coco Gauff, aiming for her first Grand Slam semifinal. The Spaniard has already reached the quarterfinals at the US Open in the past and continues to show good consistency on the Tour after her return, although she was defeated by another American, 13th seed Emma Navarro, at that event.

As for Monfils, he will face 21st seed Ben Shelton on Sunday morning, aiming for a spot in the Australian Open quarterfinals.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate tennis experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe