Gael Monfils has announced that next season will be his last as a professional tennis player.
The 39-year-old Frenchman won his first ATP Tour title 20 years ago and went on to reach sixth in the world rankings, making semifinals on home soil at Roland Garros in 2008 then eight years later at the US Open.
But it is Monfils’ crowd-pleasing athletic style that has made him a favourite around the world and, writing on X, he said: “What you see is joy, pure joy, spilling over.”
The world No. 53, who is married to fellow professional Elina Svitolina, added: “When you love something so much, it never feels like a good time to say goodbye. But 40 will be the right time for me.”
