Gael Monfils has announced he will retire from professional tennis at the end of the 2026 season.
The 39-year-old Frenchman confirmed the decision in a statement on Instagram, saying he feels “stupidly lucky” to have played during what he described as a golden age of the sport.
Monfils has won 13 career titles and became the oldest ATP Tour champion at 38 years and four months when he lifted the Auckland Open trophy in January 2025.
The world number 53 has struggled with injuries in recent years and he was forced to retire from last month’s Chengdu Open with an ankle problem.
“Life is too short. Believe me when I say that I have no regrets.
“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, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray.
“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,” Monfils wrote on Instagram.
The 39-year-old’s most consistent period came in the mid-2010s, when the ‘big three’ – Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – were at their peak.
The Frenchman reached a career-high ranking of sixth in the world in 2016 after reaching the semi-finals of the US Open, when he was beaten by Djokovic.
Monfils’ run at Flushing Meadows was the second of two Grand Slam semi-final appearances in his career, having lost to Federer in the last four of the 2008 French Open.
“While I came close, I never did win a Grand Slam during my career,” continued Monfils.
“I won’t pretend that I expect to do so during the next year.”
The Frenchman inflicted a shock defeat on world number one Carlos Alcaraz at the Cincinnati Open in 2024.
But the Spaniard and world number two Jannik Sinner have won nine of the past 10 Grand Slams between them.
“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,” Monfils said.
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