Is Gael Monfils career already over as strange situation develops despite likely Lyon and Paris homecomings

Wednesday, 14 October 2026 at 15:00

Gael Monfils was set to retire at the end of 2026 no matter what, but a strange situation has developed despite him likely having more homecomings before the end of the season.

Monfils was speculated to have already ended his career after it was noticed on the ITIA website that the star's status was changed to retired on the website of the tennis body.

Many were surprised by the timing, especially given that he was expected to play in Lyon next week and then the Paris Masters to end his career, the final Masters tournament on the ATP Tour.

The French tournament is due to take place between 2 and 8 November, and given the magnitude of a player like Monfils to the fabric of the sport in the country, it raises not only eyebrows but also means others are scrambling to find out if it is real.

Has he retired?

However, those claims appear to be true, and they have been confirmed by an ITIA spokesperson following the rapid rise of the news on social media.

Monfils appears to have retired, with the head of communication at the ITIA telling L'Equipe. “He informed us about it; he is now considered retired and is no longer authorised to participate in tournaments.

“Technically, he would need to undergo six months of out-of-competition testing before being able to return to the competition. Just like Serena Williams did.”

Following his retirement, it seems likely that he is more set with having a farewell at the event than playing at it and will likely get a ceremony.

He has, like other huge names retiring, such as Stan Wawrinka and Dominic Thiem, prior been a mixed participant when it comes to getting wildcards with Monfils, often shirked compared to other names. But his mark on the sport is undeniable.

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He won 13 titles, including three at the ATP 500 level. He reached three finals throughout his career in the Masters tournaments. He was beaten in the Paris Masters final twice in 2009 and 2010.

He reached the final of the 2016 Monte Carlo final. He reached the semi-finals of both Roland Garros and the US Open and also the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. Playing at the height of the big three, his career would markably be different if he didn't, and his legacy no doubt would've been further increased.

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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