PARIS – After scoring a forehand winner to take a 5-3 lead in the fourth set, Gael Monfils waved his arms and encouraged the crowd of nearly 15,000 at Court Philippe Chatrier to cheer.
Fans didn’t need a reminder, but they still obliged.
Shortly after, he stole a deciding set against Hugo Gastón. Cheers like “Gael, Gael” echoed throughout the sultry Parisian night, and “Staying Alive” blared from the stadium’s speakers. Dozens of ‘Merci Gael’ shirts were seen throughout the stands.
Thanks to his signature energetic style and incredible shot-making, he looked as if he had found his magic again at Roland Garros. However, despite the endless will of those present, it did not happen. The final ended Monfils’ storied career at Roland Garros, as fellow Frenchman Gaston, 14 years his junior, eliminated him in the final set 6-2, 6-3, 2-6, 3-6, 6-0.
Monfils, 39, announced at the beginning of the season that this would be his last match on tour. And while there are still plenty of tournaments he would like to play in, such as Wimbledon and the US Open, everyone knew Roland Garros was the most important and that he would receive the grandest send-off. He won the tournament as a junior in 2004, and Roland Garros was the stage for his first major semi-final as a professional. And he is, in the words of tournament director Amelie Mauresmo, what can only be described as a “French legend.”
Addressing the crowd after the match, he described the tournament as “unique, exceptional and wonderful.”
“I’m trembling. It’s magical, it’s unbelievable,” he said in French of playing at the event.
Less than an hour later, he told reporters he still hadn’t fully processed what happened that night.
“It’s a mixture of joy and sadness. And, you know, it’s a lot of emotions, a lot of emotions,” he said. “It’s very difficult to explain.”
It may take time to realize all that Monfils has accomplished, but those in the sport are already well aware of his accomplishments and influence. For many years he was one of the most anticipated French players to win a major title, and while that probably won’t happen, the reception he received from Monday night’s crowd and the passionate tribute video featuring a host of tournament champions, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, make it clear he won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
“Gael, thank you for everything,” Alcaraz said in the video. “For me, you were a true inspiration. A great athlete, but most importantly, a great person off the court.”
After defeating Monfils in the fourth round of the 2025 Australian Open, Ben Shelton, like many other players, couldn’t help but praise his opponent.
“Gail is a guy I’ve watched since I was a kid,” Shelton said. “I always say he’s the best highlight tape of all time.”
It’s a sentiment that has echoed throughout Monfils’ career.
Known for his infectious energy, dazzling athleticism, and endless, jaw-dropping, physics-defying shots, Monfils has been a crowd favorite at touring bases around the world for years. In an open letter to her 3-year-old daughter published in The Players Tribune, Elina Svitolina, who won a dramatic three-set match early Monday morning, likened watching Monfils to hearing the perfect song at a concert or the perfect line in a movie.
“Gael Monfils was one of the greatest shot-makers anyone has ever seen. There are other players who shot more consistently or made fewer mistakes…but it’s interesting,” Svitolina wrote. “Because when you say why these players are great, you probably have to give a long explanation. Or you have to show a lot of statistics, whole matches, whole tournaments. But what about your dad? That’s not the case.
“With dad, it’s very easy. You can show someone his one point, even one blow … and now they will “get it.” Because in one shot, in a split second, your dad can accomplish something that I think few athletes have ever been able to accomplish. he could make people feel something. “
That was evident in Monday night’s game. The crowd seemed to be alive and breathing, singing and shouting in every way. ”Let’s go! ” (“Let’s go!”) he said every time he seemed to need a moment of encouragement.
And that reception was nothing new. Monfils has always drawn cheers and crowds, but the crowd has only grown louder since announcing that this year will be his final year on tour. Felix Auger-Aliassime fought Monfils at Indian Wells in March, and he said the crowd was unlike anything he had experienced before.
“The atmosphere on court was absolutely incredible,” Auger-Aliassime said last week. “It was the first round. People were so happy and so excited to see him one last time. He’s so loved everywhere he goes.”
A touted junior player who rose to No. 1 in the world rankings in 2004 and won three of the four major men’s singles titles, Monfils was named ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2005. However, his professional career never reached the same heights and failed to live up to his early expectations. The main reason for this is that he played during the era of the Big Three: Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. Many had hoped that he could break a 43-year drought among French men, but that now looks nearly impossible. Still, he reached two major semi-finals (2008 French Open and 2016 US Open), won 13 ATP titles, and achieved a world ranking of No. 6.
But, as Svitolina pointed out, “statistics cannot capture all of his unique greatness.” His accomplishments are more than just results and trophies. As a black player who began his career at a time when few players competed on tour, many credit him with helping inspire the next generation.
“To be honest, it’s very important for me to watch the national team,” said four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, 28. “On the women’s side, for me, I had Serena and Venus (Williams). So I was very grateful to them. On the men’s side, I’ve looked up to (Monfils) and (Jo-Wilfried) Tsonga for a long time. I think that’s very important. And obviously there’s a wave of French black players coming. … He’s definitely an inspiration to a lot of players here. I really love the way he carries himself, the way he represents us. ”
Last week, Osaka and Taylor Townsend held a dinner party in Paris for black players competing at Roland Garros. Monfils was also present. Regarding the backlash to the event, Osaka wrote that the event was “a celebration of how far we have come” in the sport.
Auger-Aliassime, 25, said Monfils helped bring in players who previously were “not necessarily that interested in tennis” and brought a “different perspective”. Arthur Fils, a 21-year-old black French player, has repeatedly described Monfils as a “big brother” figure, someone he grew up watching. Giovanni Mpesi Péricard, another up-and-coming black French player who lost to Djokovic on Court Philippe Chatrier on Sunday, cited Monfils as his childhood idol.
For others, it was Monfils’s personality and warmth that were most memorable, Svitolina said in her letter, but it was also because of her upbringing as a black man in France and in sports, where she often had to overcome an unwelcoming environment. Djokovic, a 24-time major champion, said he has known Monfils since he was 13 or 14 and considers him a friend, rival and one of his most notable players in the decades since.
“(He) is a player who has touched the hearts of so many people and who is respected by everyone in the men’s locker room and the women’s locker room, across the generations he has played against,” Djokovic said. “I mean, I don’t know anyone who really hates Gael.”
Hugo Humbert, a 27-year-old French player who grew up watching Monfils, agreed with that assessment. Humbert was asked in a pre-tournament press conference if he had ever heard anyone say a bad thing about Monfils, calling him a “great guy” who was always there for those who needed him during the tour.
He didn’t hesitate.
“No, honestly, no.”
And Djokovic said in a memorial video on Monday that this could be Monfils’ “biggest victory.”
