“I could guarantee you that, if I could win a Slam, I would.” ATP Veteran and French icon Gael Monfils had this to say after spending 21 years on the court, entertaining the crowd with his never-say-die spirit and enthralling shot-making magic. The former world No.6 will surely regret not having at least one major title in his cabinet. But then again, you can’t have a perfect life, can you? Neither did Monfils. But the one he had while swinging his way through memorable campaigns in the last two decades, he will cherish forever.

Taking perhaps the toughest call of his career for one last time, Monfils shared a heartwarming message on his X account. The post read, “I held a racket in my hands for the first time at two and a half, and began playing professionally at 18.” Soon, he disclosed the truth bomb while sharing, “After celebrating my 39th birthday just a month ago, I’d like to share that the year ahead will be my last as a professional tennis player.”

Yes, the former US Open semifinalist has decided to move beyond the court and finally head into retirement. “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. Though this game means the world to me, I am tremendously at peace with my decision to retire at the end of the 2026 tennis season.” The next year will mark his 22 years in professional tennis.

However, looking forward, he has high hopes for the racket sport, especially with modern-day talents like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner taking over and continuing the legacy of icons like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. The latter, at 38, is still playing, having 24 slams. Monfils wrote, “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.”

In his retirement thread, Monfils also specifically addressed one important question that has remained attached to his name. But he happily dodged it while looking at the bigger picture in life.

Gael Monfils on why he is not thinking of winning slams anymore

For the uninitiated, Gael Monfils has come close to lifting a maiden slam on previous occasions. But he couldn’t enter the summit clash of any of the four majors in his two-decade career. Here is an overview of his best runs at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open:

• Australian Open – Quarterfinal (2016, 2022)
• French Open – Semifinal (2008)
• Wimbledon – Fourth Round (2018)
• US Open – Semifinal (2016)

Reflecting on his unfulfilled dream, Monfils wrote, “While I came close, I never did win a Grand Slam during my career. I won’t pretend that I expect to do so during the next year.” Simply put, he is not expecting, at all, for some miracle to happen that will lead him to a farewell with a slam triumph attached to his name.

For him, this longtime dream hardly matters anymore. “As those who know me can attest, l’ve never thought this way, and frankly I’m far too old to start doing so now. Life is too short. Believe me when I say that I have no regrets.”

Instead, he reflected on his time spent with modern-day greats especially the ‘Big Three’. “l’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. Even losing feels epic when you’re facing a legend,”

Moving forward, in his last season, Monfils has got only one objective left. “To enjoy every minute, and to play each match like it’s my last.” It will be intriguing to see how his farewell season transpires before he takes his last step off the court.