Gael Monfils has admitted he was scared to attend his retirement ceremony at the Paris Masters, describing the event as one of the best moments of his life. The former world No. 6 ended his career last month by informing the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) of his retirement, weeks before he was due to play two final tournaments in Lyon and Paris.
Monfils and his wife of five years, Elina Svitolina, announced their split a few days later. Both have since confirmed that their separation was behind the Frenchman's sudden retirement, as he struggled to train or pick up a racket.
A Difficult Return to Paris
The 13-time title winner was still able to say goodbye to the sport during a special ceremony at the Paris Masters earlier this week. He took to the court to address the crowd and his loved ones with a special speech and reunited with some of his fellow French tennis icons, including Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
The 40-year-old has now admitted that he had been "scared to come" to the Paris Masters after a difficult few weeks. In an emotional statement, the former world No. 6 said: "Last night at the Rolex I experienced one of the best moments of my life on a short. Today, I still have your voices in my head, and I am still looking for the words."
An Emotional Tribute
Monfils continued: "I'll be honest with you: I was scared to come. The last few weeks have been full of emotions, and I didn't dare to come find you. And then I arrived, and this moment was magical. You have been amazing."
He added: "I was a kid from Paris with a dream far too big for him. A kid who was running around, sliding, jumping, just wanted to play, have fun and give people pleasure. Twenty plus years later, I think I'm still that kid. And you have been there every step of the way."
"Didn't win a Grand Slam. I've lost matches that hurt, and my body has often told me to stop. But what you gave me, no trophy could have given me. You give me love. So much love. A kindness that I will never forget. In victories, in defeats, in times when I had nothing, you were there. Every 'Go Gael!' in the stands or in front of the TV, has lifted me up more times than you can imagine."
Thanks to Family and Fans
Monfils also paid tribute to his daughter, Skai, during the ceremony, dedicating the moment to her. He said: "To my parents, it all started with you. To my family, to my friends, to my team, to everyone who has walked this journey with me, I owe you everything. And to you, my Skai. When you look at these pictures later, I hope you see all the love this audience had for me. This love is the most beautiful legacy I can leave you."
"Today you turn a page. But what we lived together, no one can ever take that away from us. I keep it in me forever. I love you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."
The newly-retired star has since been inundated with well-wishes from his old rivals. Jakub Mensik wrote "Love you man!" in the comments, Stefanos Tsitsipas added "Forever in our hearts," and Magda Linette commented: "To say you're one of the kindest people I've ever met would be an understatement. Wishing you nothing but happiness in this next chapter, Gael!"
Stan Wawrinka, Juan Martin del Potro and Borna Coric also left comments. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were among those who sent Monfils a video message ahead of his farewell ceremony.
