Gael Monfils has joined Roger Federer as the only men to reach the Australian Open’s fourth round at age 38 or older since the tournament field expanded to 128 players in 1988.

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.

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.

Novak Djokovic was at the centre of another Australian Open row on Monday while Jannik Sinner needed medical attention in fierce heat to battle into the quarter-finals and Iga Swiatek won easily. But American teenage qualifier Learner Tien’s fairytale run is over after he suffered a thigh problem in a four-set defeat to Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego in Melbourne.

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.

Gael Monfils retires to bring unfortunate end to record-breaking Australian Open runLumen5