Perennial crowd favorite and former world No. 6 Gael Monfils announced he will retire at the close of the 2026 tennis season.
The 39-year-old Frenchman, celebrated for his electrifying style and athleticism, revealed the news Wednesday in a social media post, writing that “the year ahead will be my last as a professional tennis player.”
“I first held a racket at two and a half and turned professional at 18,” Monfils wrote. “Being able to turn my passion into a career has been a privilege I have cherished in every match and moment of my 21-year career. While this game will always mean the world to me, I am at peace with my decision.”
Monfils has won 13 titles. His best results at Grand Slam tournaments are two semifinals, at the 2008 French Open and 2016 U.S. Open.
“While I came close, I never did win a Grand Slam during my career. I won’t pretend that I expect to do so during the next year,” Monfils said, adding that he has no regrets.
“What I do have is the feeling that I have been lucky – insanely, stupidly lucky,” he said. “I’ve had the chance to play during a golden age of tennis alongside some of the greatest names in the history of our sport: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray.”
Following in the footsteps of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon and Richard Gasquet, he is the last member of a group of talented French players dubbed “The Musketeers” to retire.
In January, Monfils became the oldest player to win an ATP Tour title, achieving the feat in Auckland, New Zealand, when he claimed his 13th tour title 20 years after his first at the age of 38 years, 132 days. He surpassed Federer, who was 38 years, 74 days old when he won the final tour title of his career at the Swiss Indoor in Basel in 2019.
Monfils married Ukrainian player Elena Svitolina in 2021, and the couple has a daughter. Monfils is currently ranked 53rd.
“To every person who ever cheered or shouted ‘Allez, Gael!’ in real life or at a TV screen: your energy and love are truly everything to me,” Monfils said.
