While October 5 is the official retirement date for Gael Monfils as per the ITIA listings, November 3 is all set to be the final curtain call for the former World No. 6. Having already retired from the sport, fans will not have the chance to see him play on the court, but the Frenchman will be at the Plenitude Arena during the Paris Masters, ready to accept the adulation of his home fans, at a time when his personal life has been in strife following the split from his wife, Elina Svitolina.
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“Of course I wasn’t going to leave like that,” said Monfils during a live session on Twitch on October 26. “And now I want to thank the family of French tennis that supported me. At the Paris Masters 1000, on Tuesday, November 3, after the first match of the night session, there will be a tribute to my career, a big show, and I will be able to say goodbye to you in person.There will be a big show, I can’t wait, and I’ll be able to say goodbye to the French crowd in person, and that’s really cool.”
2026 was going to be Monfils’ last year on the Tour, a fact he announced in late 2025. With a home event like the Paris Masters scheduled as the final big event of the calendar, it was widely accepted that the Frenchman would have his final match in Nanterre. However, his decision to officially retire did catch some people out, with the Frenchman calling it time on his playing days as an ATP player, with his last match being against Learner Tien at the US Open
The decision to make the abrupt departure was not random, as news of Monfils splitting with his wife, Elina Svitolina, after five years of marriage has been one of the running headlines in the world of tennis. The Frenchman himself discussed the split during his live session, admitting that the emotional turmoil was too much for him to train adequately and have a decent showing at what would have been the last event of his career.
“The separation from Elina hurt me deeply,” said Monfils. “When it’s happening, I can’t train the way I want, I’m not at my best mentally. It’s already very hard to step onto the court for the end of a career, with emotions you don’t know, and when you’re also hurting and have to look ahead, I just didn’t find it possible to play.”
This is not the first Parisian tribute Monfils will receive in 2026. The Frenchman got the full red-carpet tribute during the French Open, where the organizers had arranged for an exhibition event for Monfils with a star-studded lineup that included players like Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Naomi Osaka, among others who came out on Court Phillipe Chatrier to show their appreciation for a career that spanned over two decades.
Monfils’s home goodbye is in line with several such instances on the ATP in recent months. While the Asian swing saw Kei Nishikori say goodbye to the sport at the Japan Open, the indoor season has already seen two retirements in David Goffin and Stan Wawrinka, who ended their careers in their home events in Brussels and Basel.
Saying goodbye at the Paris Masters will have significance for Monfils beyond the presence of a home crowd, as the Frenchman had some of his best career moments at this competition.
Gael Monfils Had Some of His Notable Career Highs at the Paris Masters
Playing in front of a home crowd always played to Monfils’ strengths; he knew how to call on the crowd’s energy with his athletic abilities and creative shotmaking. While his farewell will be in Nanterre, Monfils made a name for himself when the Paris Masters took place at the Accor Arena in Bercy, reaching the final in consecutive years in 2009 and 2010.
Monfils was not afraid to go head-to-head against some of the best players in the world while playing in Bercy, as he lost in a tight three-set final to Novak Djokovic in 2009. In the following year, Monfils won against the likes of Andy Murray and Roger Federer on the indoor hard courts, but could not cross the finish line against Robin Soderling in the 2010 final.
Monfils always enjoyed the home support he got in France, as the French Open was his most successful Major in terms of victories, with his best result being a semifinal run in 2008. Overall, Monfils has reached 11 Tour-level finals in France and won 4 of his 13 career titles at home events.