“Enjoy your last dance, my friend”: Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka lead tributes after Monfils announces retirement

Novak Djokovic, Naomi Osaka, and Ons Jabeur were among those who reacted to the news of their colleague Gaël Monfils' retirement, sending emotional messages of support and appreciation to their rival. The 39-year-old Frenchman surprised the public on Wednesday by announcing on social media that the 2026 season would be his last as a professional.

Monfils is currently one of the veterans still active on the tour. There are six players over 35 years old in the Top 100, with Monfils (No. 55) being the oldest after turning 39 just a month ago. The second-oldest is precisely Djokovic (No. 5); they are nearly the last representatives of an older era of tennis. Monfils—born in September 1986—is just eight months older than Djokovic—born in May 1987.

Monfils began his career in 2004—at just 16 years old—and has been a regular on the Tour ever since, boasting a distinguished career in which he won 13 titles—three of them ATP 500 events—and reached a total of 22 finals—three of them at Masters 1000 tournaments.

The rivalry between Djokovic and Monfils is one of the most peculiar in tennis, as the Frenchman has never been able to secure a victory in their 20 matchups, from their first encounter back at the US Open in 2005—20 years ago—to their last at the Brisbane International earlier this year. No other rivalry exists with so many wins for one player without their rival ever managing to win.

The announcement of Monfils' retirement came amidst a complicated last few months for the Frenchman, who has suffered five consecutive losses and a couple of injuries in the interim. In fact, his last appearance was at the Chengdu Open, where he failed to capitalize on a one-set advantage against Alexander Shevchenko and retired at the start of the third set, being eliminated in the first round 7-6(3), 3-6, 0-1, ret.

After a few weeks of silence, Monfils finally announced that he is preparing for his retirement in the 2026 season, although without giving clear date details. "Now, 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," the 13-time ATP champion announced. "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."

Monfils received responses from several of his colleagues, but one stood out above all: the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who dedicated a special message to his colleague. "La Monf… What a treat was to watch you every match,” wrote Djokovic. “You are an amazing human being that brings joy to people on and off the court. That counts more then anything else. Tennis wise, your athleticism is off the charts. One of the best I have ever seen in all sports. Thank you for all the great battles over the years we had and enjoy your last dance, my friend."

Three-time Grand Slam runner-up Ons Jabeur wrote: “Congratulations frérot! We will miss you ❤️ Your energy on and off the court has been truly special, and I know you will keep inspiring wherever you go. Wishing you all the success and happiness in this next chapter you deserve it 🤗💪✨”, while four-time major champion Naomi Osaka—Monfils' recent mixed doubles partner—also chimed in: “🥹❤️ congratulations on everything and thank you for inspiring all of us!”

Other colleagues like Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Zizou Bergs, Francisco Cerúndolo, Jakub Mensik, the legend Billie Jean King, and his wife Elina Svitolina were among those who responded to the social media post with messages for the former World No. 6. “Can’t wait to begin this new chapter with you,” posted Svitolina, his wife since 2022.