As the French Open draws were being made at the Orangery Building on Thursday, Court Philippe-Chatrier hosted an emotional tribute ceremony. Roland Garros organized a farewell event titled “Gael and Friends” in honor of Gael Monfils, who has a 70% win rate at Rolland Garros, and will enter the court for one last time. Elina Svitolina, Monfils’ wife, was moved to tears as her husband was honored by multiple stars and the organizers themselves.

Married since 2021, Svitolina and Monfils have supported each other from the players’ boxes, even when competing simultaneously. At the honor ceremony, Svitolina sat in the stands with tears streaming down her face.

Svitolina paid tribute to Monfils as both a player and a partner, writing an online post about him. She addressed the write-up to Skai, their daughter, to celebrate the Frenchman’s career achievements.

Addressing Skai, Svitolina wrote, “I wouldn’t say that sports are usually like this…. they are competition, you know? But if you watch Gaël play, there are moments where you connect to something deeper than sports. Where you feel like, OK, tennis…… this is not just one player trying to grind another player to dust. When it’s in the very best moments??? It’s also magic. And your dad was the best magician.”

Svitolina did not limit herself to her professional career; she also spoke about how Monfils entered her life and how the duo began dating. She talked about a light-hearted incident in which the Frenchman showed a card trick to win her over on their first date.

She spoke about how Monfils had to battle through in life, as the Frenchman often was a victim of racism in his early days as a tennis player. The fact that Monfils was a true champion in his personal life, as well, as Svitolina notes, the Frenchman gave her the strongest support during her pregnancy.

At 39, Monfils shared earlier this year that he was drawing curtains on an 18-year-old career as he sees this point as a natural conclusion in his journey. The Frenchman also revealed he will transition into a career in finance.

Beyond Svitolina and Monfils, the ceremony drew tennis’s biggest names.

Roland Garros Was Filled With Stars for the Gael Monfils Farewell

Rolland Garros has a history of organizing grand farewells. The iconic Rafael Nadal had a legendary farewell at Philippe-Chatrier with the crowd donning “Merci Rafa” tee shirts as the Big Four assembled on the court. When it was time to celebrate a home hero, they stepped up again.

Gael Monfils may not have been a Grand Slam champion, but his farewell ceremony was filled with a few of them. Novak Djokovic was one of the first to arrive on court, sharing a warm experience with Monfils. Djokovic holds a 20-0 head-to-head record against Monfils, yet their warm relationship speaks to the Frenchman’s character.

Naomi Osaka was also at the farewell, having played with Monfils in the mixed doubles at the US Open last year and forming a bond with the Frenchman. Despite arriving at Roland Garros on the back of a grueling schedule, Sinner attended the event, showing Monfils’s popularity among the current generation as well.

Monfils is the last to retire of the “French Musketeers” that include Gilles Simon, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Richard Gasquet. Together, the four defined a highly successful period in modern French tennis, driving the country to Davis Cup finals and captivating the Paris crowds for two decades. All the musketeers were present as the retirement marked the end of an era in French tennis. The upcoming generation of Arthur Fils (21), Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (22), and rising 16-year-old phenom Moise Kouame will certainly look up to their seniors.

During the event, the players competed in a lighthearted mixed doubles exhibition. Monfils and Sinner were seen having fun, watching the antics of Ben Shelton and Belinda Bencic, who played against the team of Alexander Zverev and Taylor Townsend.

Monfils has 13 career titles so far, with a 70 percent win rate at Roland Garros. He reached the semifinal in Paris back in 2008, where he lost to Roger Federer. Another of his breakthrough Grand Slam runs came at the 2016 US Open, where he lost in the semifinals to Novak Djokovic.

The Frenchman still has the spark in his game, having won a title in 2025 in Auckland, then beating one of the top players in the world, Taylor Fritz, at the Australian Open in the same year. He even beat Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Cincinnati Open. This year, however, he has a modest 3-6 record, having been eliminated in the first round at the Australian Open.

Monfils will be remembered for his athleticism, speed, and creative shotmaking. He may not have won on the sport’s biggest stages, but he won the hearts of thousands of fans who watched. His signature smash, where he jumped in the air to send the ball on the other side, will be etched in everyone’s minds. It’s like Svitolina said, it was never about the numbers with the Frenchman; it was about the magic he could create with his racket.

He will start his final Roland Garros campaign with a first-round encounter against Hugo Gaston, and one can only imagine the stands will be packed with fans willing the 39-year-old for one last hurrah in Paris.