The 39-year-old Frenchman, Gael Monfils, had announced in October that the 2026 season would be his farewell tour. A player who has entertained millions of tennis fans for two decades is expected to play his last tournament in his home later in the year. The showman has never been a player who does things quietly, and he has built excitement for Roland Garros with a short clip.

“Hi everyone, it’s Gaël. This year, I’m preparing something special for you at Roland Garros. I can’t tell you too much, but believe me, you’re going to love it. For more details, tune in on April 16,” Monfils said in the video posted by the official account of the French Open. (translated from French). 

Nobody knows what’s on the other side of the surprise, but something we will know in two days’ time. The announcement’s timing suggests a potential connection to his retirement. Roland Garros is Monfils’ home Grand Slam, where he reached the semifinals in 2008, marking one of the best Grand Slam performances of his career. The Frenchman will make his final appearance in front of his home crowds at the clay courts of Paris. 

Monfils has started getting the benefits for what he has given to people in all these years. At Monte-Carlo last week, he played his 29th and final match at Court Rainier III. The former world No. 6 defeated Tallon Griekspoor in a three-set match, where he experienced an electrifying atmosphere. He became the second-oldest man ever to win a Masters 1000 match, an all-time record for a French player. He fell to the eighth seed, Alexander Bublik, in the second round, 6-4. 

A special ceremony was arranged to celebrate Monfils’ career. The organizers played a video montage of his best moments at Monte-Carlo, which included his final run in the 2016 edition and a win over Roger Federer in 2015 on the big screen. When he left the stadium, he received a huge standing ovation from the crowd, alongside Bublik, paying tribute to the great man and hyping the crowd even more. 

When asked what his farewell at Roland Garros would feel like, Monfils was candid about what awaits him.

“It will be something I will never forget. Maybe I won’t show my emotions much because I’ll be focused on the match, but when it affects you, it affects you. I tend to be good at controlling my emotions, but we’ll see,” he said at his Monte-Carlo press conference.

Since the video was released, theories about the April 16 announcement have circulated. An exhibition? A goodbye affair on the Paris clay? One of the media projects for promotion? There are no official leads, and that silence is not accidental.

What Prompted Gael Monfils to Retire in 2026?

The decision was not a one-night affair. Before the announcement in October, Monfils had been thinking about it for a long time, taking it through the summer and having it processed by his family before its public release. He was at peace when he posted on social media.

“I’ve known for a while. Since the American tour, we knew I wanted to announce it in October. But I also felt it was important to talk about it first with my loved ones a bit earlier. And then time flies, so the official announcement finally happened in October, but I’ve known for a long time,” Monfils said.

Forty will be the right age, he concluded. “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,” he wrote in his retirement statement. 

The goal for this final year is simple: no titles required, no records necessary. “To enjoy every minute and to play each match like it’s my last.”

Physical reality had been speaking for some time. The Parisian lost eight of his final nine matches of the year after a spectacular start to 2025, when he won his 13th ATP title in Auckland, becoming the oldest champion on the ATP Tour since it began in 1990. An injury against Alexander Shevchenko, which brought retirement at the Chengdu Open in September, escalated the emotions that had been forming gradually.

“I was very tired and even injured my legs a bit. From that moment, I felt that maybe it was time to retire because not being able to maintain this level for one, two, three, or four tournaments means something. I felt I was at the limit,” Monfils admitted.

He had begun to question himself whether he would even play in 2026 at all. Gael Monfils came back for his love of the sport and the understanding that some of the tournaments continued to bring him pure joy. The Frenchman has a surprise for us one last time, and Roland Garros is in a month.