French veteran Gael Monfils has announced he will retire from tennis at the end of the 2026 season.
Monfils, who turned 39 on September 1, has been ranked as high as No 6 in the world with his best Grand Slam results making the semi-finals of the US Open in 2016 and French Open back in 2008.
He has won 13 career titles, most recently at the Auckland Open in January of this year when he became the oldest ATP Tour singles champion at the age of 38 years and four months, breaking a record previously held by Roger Federer.
Watch highlights as Monfils makes history by becoming the oldest winner of an ATP Tour singles title in Auckland earlier this year
Writing on Instagram, Monfils – who has thrilled fans with his crowd-pleasing style for two decades – said: “I held a racket in my hands for the first time at two and a half, and began playing professionally at 18.
“Now, after celebrating my 39th birthday just a month ago, I’d like to share that the year ahead will be my last as a professional tennis player
“The opportunity to turn my passion into a profession is a privilege I have cherished during every match and moment of my 21-year career.
“Though this game means the world to me, I am tremendously at peace with my decision to retire at the end of the 2026 season.
“To every person who ever cheered or shouted ‘Allez, Gael!’ in real life or at a TV screen: your energy and love are truly everything to me.”
‘Even losing feels epic when you’re facing a legend’
Monfils continued: “What I do have is the feeling that I have been lucky: insanely, stupidly lucky.
“I’ve had the chance to play during a golden age of tennis, alongside some of the greatest names in the history of our sport: Federer, [Rafael] Nadal, [Novak] Djokovic, [Andy] Murray.
“Even losing feels epic when you’re facing a legend (though I have to admit that the occasional wins were pretty euphoric, too).
Monfils says he has played in a ‘golden age of tennis’
“An exciting new generation of players is already here and I hope they’ll enjoy their time on the court as much as I have for the last two decades.
“I’ve been called ‘The Showman’ over the course of my career but I want you to know that it was never just a show put on for the crowd. What you see is joy, pure joy, spilling over.
“My passion and enjoyment on the court are real and their energy electrifies me at each and every match.”
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