Gael Monfils Joins Federer and Djokovic in Exclusive Grand Slam Milestone

Gael Monfils has done something only two other men have accomplished in tennis history. 22 consecutive seasons winning at least one Grand Slam match. Only Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have ever matched that. Nobody else–not Rafael Nadal, not Pete Sampras, not anyone.

A Streak That Should Be Talked About More

Since 2005, Monfils has walked onto a Grand Slam court and found a way to win. Through injuries. Through a heel surgery that wiped out a season. Through slumps that dropped him out of the Top 300. Monfils is now tied with two of the greatest champions who ever picked up a racket, for the longest streak of its kind that exists.

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Gael Monfils Did It the Hard Way and Delivered It in Style

Federer and Djokovic racked up their streaks while collecting Grand Slam trophies. Monfils has done it without lifting one, and that makes what he has built arguably more remarkable, not less. It means for 22 straight years, he found a way no matter how hard the seasons were and no matter what his ranking said.

On the day that marks his 40th birthday, He dropped the first set, then completely took over, closing it out 2-6 6-1 6-2 6-0, capped by a leaping forehand winner early in the fourth set that had the entire crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium on its feet.

His Story at Each Major

At the Australian Open, Monfils achieved his best result by reaching the quarterfinals in both 2016 and 2022. The signature win of that run came years later, in 2025, when at 38 years old he upset world No. 4 Taylor Fritz to reach the second week in Melbourne.

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The French Open gave him his career-best Grand Slam result. In 2008, he beat fifth seed David Ferrer to reach the semifinals, the deepest run of his career at a Major. He returned to the spotlight there in 2023 with a five-set comeback win over Sebastian Baez.

Wimbledon was not his strongest force. A fourth-round finish in 2018 remains as far as he has ever gone at the All-England Club.

The US Open matched his French Open result, with a semifinal run in 2016 that came the same year he reached his career-high ranking of World No.6.

The Last Word

Gael Monfils now moves on to face Learner in the second round, in what is supposed to be the final season of his career. The record is already his no matter what happens next. But anyone who has followed the Frenchman this long knows better to assume he has done making history just because the streak is already secured. 22 years in, he has earned the benefit of the doubt.

Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

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