The French confirmed that he will hang the racket at the end of 2026, after more than two decades of race. With 13 titles, two Grand Slam semifinals and a spectacle legacy, Monfils says goodbye as one of the great world tennis animators.
Photo: EFE – Darren England
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The French Gael Monfilsone of the most charismatic and unique players of modern tennis, announced Wednesday that he will put end to your professional career At the close of the 2026 season. The announcement, made through an emotional statement, marks the beginning of the countdown for a trajectory that, beyond the titles, will remain in the collective memory because of the way in which each game transformed into a show.
Monfils, from 39 yearsHe explained that his farewell will arrive shortly after celebrating 40, in September next year. In his message, he thanked his family, his colleagues, his wife – also tennis player Elina Svitolina – Already his daughter, Skaï, for constant support. There was no intimate dedication to his parents: “Mom, dad, look how far we have arrived“, He wrote. To the public, that so many times encouraged him with the shout of” Allez, Gaël! “, He left them a recognition:” His energy and love have been everything to me. “
Con 13 ATP titles Throughout two decades in the circuit, Monfils consolidated a particular record in 2024: it became The oldest tennis player to win an official tournamentwhen crowned in the Auck Classic Asb Classic with 38 years and four months, exceeding the brand that It belonged to Roger Federer since 2019.
Throughout his career he became number six in the world and He played two Grand Slam semifinalsin Roland Garros 2008 and in the US Open 2016. Although he never conquered one of the greats, he always defended his style as a way of showing joy on the court: “They have called me 'El Showman', but I want them to know that it was never an armed show. What they saw was always pure happiness,” he said in his farewell.
Its legacy, however, is not measured only in statistics. In Paris, during the last Roland Garros, he turned to the Philippe Chatrier again with a back of two sets against Bolivian Hugo Dellien, an example of the resilience capacity that characterized his career. Players like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet y Gilles Simongeneration partners in the so -called “Band of the Four Musketeers” of French tennis, have already praised it in this prelude to their last season. And during the next months a continuous tribute is expected to an athlete who knew how to inspire new generations, especially to young black players who found in him a reference and a model to follow.
The best moves of the Monfils race
Monfils, who broke into 2004 as a promise to win three of the four Grand Slams youth, had to live with the comparison against his elite contemporaries and, above all, with the shadow of the “Big Three.” However, he won a unique place in history: that of a competitor who turned energy, show and passion into an art form inside the court. His last year in the circuit will be, more than a farewell, a celebration of everything he gave to world tennis.
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