"It's 100% certain I'll play Roland-Garros in 2026," announces Monfils
The era of the 'Four Musketeers' is fading more than ever. After the retirements of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gilles Simon in 2022, Richard Gasquet recently became the third to bid farewell to professional tennis.
During Roland-Garros, the 38-year-old from Béziers played the final tournament of his career. After a win against Terence Atmane, he was defeated in the second round by current world No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
The last remaining active French player from this generation is Gaël Monfils. At 38, the Frenchman still delivers thrilling performances, having won the ATP 250 tournament in Auckland earlier this season.
In his first match, he came back from a two-set deficit against Hugo Dellien to secure victory. He then electrified the night session again in the second round but struggled physically toward the end against world No. 5 Jack Draper, who defeated him in four sets.
Currently ranked 42nd in the ATP rankings, Monfils hasn’t yet decided when he’ll retire. But one thing is certain—he wants to keep enjoying the game at least until next year’s clay season.
On his Snapchat account, where Monfils is very active, the former world No. 6 and winner of 13 ATP titles has already confirmed his participation in Roland-Garros in 2026, barring injury.
"But yes, I’ll be back next year. Of course, I’ll play Roland-Garros. If there’s no injury or anything, it’s 100% certain I’ll play in 2026," declared Monfils, who reached the quarterfinals at this year’s Australian Open after defeating Taylor Fritz (world No. 4). Good news for French tennis—and for the showmanship of the sport.
