Ben Shelton (No. 20) will meet Gael Monfils (No. 41) in the Round of 16 at the Australian Open on Sunday, January 19.Monfils enters the Round of 16 after his four-set win on Friday over Taylor

Ben Shelton has shared what Gael Monfils is really like after their Australian Open fourth-round clash. The 38-year-old Frenchman was forced to retire from their match on Monday while trailing by two sets to one. Afterwards, Shelton opened up on a private chat he shared with the former world No. 6.

Monfils was struggling with a back injury at the start of the fourth set as Ben Shelton advanced to the quarter-finals

MELBOURNE, Australia — World No. 4 and U.S. Open finalist Taylor Fritz is out of the Australian Open after Gael Monfils continued his vintage run through the tournament. Fritz took the first set 6-3, but from thereafter Monfils took control, prevailing 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1), 6-4.

Gael Monfils is into the Australian Open fourth round at the ripe old age of 38 - making him the second oldest player ever to do so.

Watch the match highlights between Gael Monfils & Ben Shelton in Round 4 of the 2025 Australian Open Men's Singles Tournament Tennis.

Ben Shelton ground down French veteran Gael Monfils Monday to set up an Australian Open quarter-final against Lorenzo Sonego, who ended teenage qualifier Learner Tien's fairytale run. But again nothing separated them until Shelton ended the resistance of Monfils with a series of winners to take the tiebreak and the veteran retired soon after.