Monfils to Retire in 2026: The Standout Numbers from the Frenchman's Career
Following the announcement of his planned retirement next year, Gaël Monfils will bring an end to a remarkable career spanning over two decades.
This Wednesday, October 1st, Gaël Monfils announced the end of his career. The Frenchman will enjoy one final season on the ATP Tour in 2026 before hanging up his racket.
Having turned professional in 2004, the player, currently 39 years old, has left a mark on an entire generation, much like his three friends from the "Four Musketeers" who have also retired (Gilles Simon, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Richard Gasquet).
A former world No. 6, Monfils has also won 13 ATP titles from 35 finals played. Crowned champion in Sopot in 2005 against Florian Mayer, he claimed his most recent trophy at the start of the season in Auckland against Zizou Bergs. Ranked 53rd in the world this week, Monfils boasts three ATP 500 titles to his name (Washington 2016, Rotterdam 2019, and Rotterdam 2020).
A two-time Grand Slam semifinalist (Roland Garros 2008 against Roger Federer and US Open 2016 against Novak Djokovic), Monfils also contested three Masters 1000 finals (Paris-Bercy 2009 and 2010, Monte-Carlo 2016) during the golden era of the Big 3, who dominated tennis for twenty years. Coming within a tie-break of the ultimate prize against Djokovic at Bercy in 2009, Monfils has had a well-rounded career.
As reported by L'Équipe, the Frenchman has secured 38 victories against top 10 players in his career (including 16 against top 5 players) and finished eight seasons ranked within the top 20 (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2019, and 2020), which notably allowed him to compete in the ATP Finals in 2016.
A testament to his consistency, he reached a final every year on the tour between 2005 and 2023 (inclusive) and managed to do so again in 2025 in New Zealand. Regarding the Davis Cup, Gaël Monfils is part of France's recent history in the competition.
With two finals played (and lost) in 2010 against Serbia and in 2014 against Switzerland, the Paris native came close to lifting the prestigious silver bowl but ultimately never succeeded. Throughout his career, Monfils has won 583 ATP matches, a feat only surpassed by Richard Gasquet (610) among French players.
Known for his extraordinary athletic abilities and showmanship that have delighted spectators worldwide for over twenty years, Monfils has defeated Roger Federer four times, Rafael Nadal twice, Andy Murray twice, and Stan Wawrinka four times, but he has never managed to overcome Novak Djokovic at the professional level (20-0 in favor of the Serbian).