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Gaël Monfils officially brought his 22-year professional tennis career to a close on Tuesday at the ATP Masters in Paris, receiving a poignant send-off on the Centre Court in front of a packed home crowd.
AReal of 588 Victories Ends on Centre Court
The 40-year-old right-hander, standing 1.93 meters tall, stepped onto the court to a roaring reception from the Paris audience, marking the end of a tenure featuring 588 tour-level wins and 13 singles titles. “It was 22 years of an extraordinary story that I never dared to dream of,” Monfils said during the ceremony. “Ich will nicht verheimlichen, dass es ein sehr schwieriger Moment ist, um Lebewohl zu sagen,” Monfils added, noting that he was saying goodbye to the most wonderful thing life had given him: the wonderful Paris audience. “Ich möchte mich bei allen bedanken, denn nur dank euch konnte ich meinen Traum verwirklichen.” He also thanked his trainers, physios, and nutritionists, mentioning that only his father was present while his mother was with his young daughter. He noted that he was proud of what he achieved, and that he was happy and at peace with what he did.
A few of Gael's friends wanted to share a few words 💙#RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/ZfgjUnx8Cg
Reflecting on his journey, Monfils recalled arriving at the Paris tournament in the early 2000s simply to watch matches before playing his first main-draw contest there in 2004.
Family Ties and a Special Message to Daughter Skaï
The emotional apex of the evening arrived when Monfils turned his attention to his four-year-old daughter, Skaï, fulfilling a request she made prior to the event. “My little girl wanted me to talk about her. She told me, ‘You don’t talk about me often enough, Papa. So Skaï, if you are watching this, now I am talking about you’.”
Monfils shared that Skaï initially declared she wanted to be a champion “in everything” before specifying she wanted to become a champion in talking, and then narrowing her ambition down to becoming a tennis player just like her father, adding that she asked him why everyone was greeting him and he told her it was because he was very nice. He also noted that the date marked exactly eight years since he got together with her mother. Looking toward the future, Monfils noted he will transition into wealth management at a Swiss firm. Closing out his address on the court, he offered a final piece of encouragement to his daughter: “Skaï, dein Papa war Tennisspieler, und ich hatte ein fantastisches Publikum.Ich wünsche dir, dass du eine Meisterin wirst und eines Tages in Paris spielen kannst.”
Global Icons Pay Tribute to the French Magician
A series of video tributes played across the arena screens, featuring messages from his fiercest rivals and modern peers. Novak Djokovic praised the Frenchman, calling him one of the kindest and funniest people in tennis and stating, “There is no one who doesn’t like you, Gaël.” Roger Federer added, “We all wanted to be a bit like Gaël Monfils. You have an incredible amount of fans.” German star Alexander Zverev characterized him as “a magician, an absolute highlight on the court” who was a player everyone loved watching over recent years. Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Daniil Medvedev also contributed video messages to mark the occasion.
Merci Monfils 💙#RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/4Hm6Gg2yXo
| Milestone / Stat | Career Figure |
|---|---|
| Years on Tour | 22 Years |
| Career Match Wins | 588 |
| Singles Titles Won | 13 |
| Grand Slam Best Finishes | Semifinals (RG 2008, USO 2016) |
