Gaël Monfils - People also ask

Gaël Monfils is one of the most beloved and charismatic tennis players of his generation, a Frenchman whose acrobatic retrieves, showmanship, and electric athleticism made him a crowd favourite on every court he played for more than twenty years. Born on September 1, 1986, in Clamart (Hauts-de-Seine), to parents from Guadeloupe, he turned professional in 2004 and rose to a career-high ranking of World No. 6, collecting 13 ATP singles titles including a 2025 Auckland Open victory that made him the oldest ATP champion in the Open Era at the time, aged 38 years and four months.

2026 is his farewell year, and he is living it fully. After an emotional last appearance at Roland-Garros where the Parisian crowd gave him a prolonged standing ovation, his own words: “forever engraved in my heart”, he received a wildcard for the National Bank Open in Montréal, a city with which he has an especially deep bond (his 15th Canadian Open, 8th in Montréal). On August 4 he delighted the crowd with a first-round win over Kamil Majchrzak (6–4, 6–4). The FFT then confirmed on August 5 that Monfils will receive a wildcard for the 2026 US Open, his 18th and final Grand Slam appearance. He turns 40 on September 1, during the tournament, making Flushing Meadows a fittingly grand stage for his finale. He will also compete in mixed doubles alongside his wife Elina Svitolina during qualifying week (August 24–26), the first time the couple will contest an official tournament together.

Off the court, Monfils married fellow tennis star Elina Svitolina, the former world No. 3 from Ukraine, in July 2021, and they have a daughter born in September 2022. The tennis world poured out tributes when his retirement was confirmed, with Novak Djokovic calling him “an amazing human being.” For French fans, the farewell of “La Monf”, the exuberant, acrobatic player who captured their hearts for two decades, is one of the most emotional stories of 2026. Sources: ATP Tour, National Bank Open, FFT, Tennis Majors.