Gael Monfils officially retired from professional tennis during an emotional ceremony at the Paris Masters on Tuesday evening, thanking fans and his daughter but avoiding any mention of his estranged wife, Elina Svitolina.
The former world No. 6 had been expected to end his career at the tournament, but he informed the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) of his retirement on October 5. Monfils and Svitolina, married for five years, later announced their split in a joint statement on social media. Both have since confirmed that their personal situation prompted the Frenchman's abrupt retirement, with Monfils explaining he struggled to train or even pick up a racket.
The 40-year-old was honoured with a ceremony between the two night-session matches on Tuesday, where he paid tribute to his and Svitolina's four-year-old daughter, Skai, without referencing Svitolina directly.
An Emotional Farewell Speech
Monfils addressed the crowd in French, with commentator Mikey Perera translating for viewers on the World Feed. "Thanks to you. It's not an easy moment for me. Thanks to the Parisian public," he said. "I'd like to thank you for 22 years of my career being a professional player. 22 great years that I couldn't have possibly dreamed of."
The 13-time title winner also thanked his coaches and others involved in his career, adding: "These past few weeks have been hard for me. When I see pictures of what I've accomplished, I always tried my best. I'm very at peace with what I've done." He expressed gratitude to his parents, noting his mother was with his daughter and his father was present, saying, "I first came here in 2000, played for the first time in 2004. Now I'm here in 2026 and it's thanks to you, mum and dad."
Tributes and a Message for Skai
Monfils credited Paris Masters tournament director Cedric Pioline and French Tennis Federation boss Gilles Moretton for helping him appear, saying, "They've helped me come in front of you tonight and say goodbye after what's been a tough few weeks. They've helped me get back up."
He dedicated his final appearance to Skai, recounting her request to be mentioned: "My little girl, Skai, she wanted me to talk about her! 'You don't talk enough about me, dad, so you have to talk about me'." He shared her ambition to be "a champion of everything" and "a champion of speaking – and a tennis champion," adding, "So I want to dedicate this night to you, Skai. My last tennis presence on the 3rd of November, 2026."
Monfils received tribute messages from several former rivals, including Rafael Nadal, who said, "I just want to congratulate you for this amazing career that you had." Novak Djokovic added, "What a career you had. One of the most likeable guys, fun guys out there. There's no one that doesn't like you, Gael." Carlos Alcaraz called him "a true inspiration, great athlete," and messages also came from Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, and others. Former WTA No. 1 Victoria Azarenka shared a story of Monfils choosing kindness at a public tennis court, saying, "You simply chose kindness."
