Tennis star retiring this year is hoping for a Wimbledon wildcard.
A much-loved tennis star, Gael Monfils, who recently bowed out of his final French Open, is hoping to make one last appearance at Wimbledon next month.
At 39, Monfils was defeated by Hugo Gaston in a first-round match between two French wildcard players at Roland Garros. The match was a thrilling five-set battle, with Monfils fighting back from two sets down to push it to the final set. However, Gaston won the last set 6-0 and is now set to face Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo in the second round.
Monfils isn’t ready to hang up his racket at the Grand Slam level just yet. Born in Switzerland, the right-handed player’s best results were reaching the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2008 and the US Open in 2016. He’s eager to have one last chance to compete at Wimbledon this summer.
“My agent wants me to play many more tournaments,” Monfils told reporters in Paris. “If I do well, I think he’ll apply for a Wimbledon wildcard for me, so we’ll wait and see. I know many others deserve it more than I do, but hopefully, I’ll get a shot there. After that, we have to decide whether to go to Washington DC for the Mubadala Citi DC Open, where they’ve offered a wildcard too. We’ll see if we accept it.”
Monfils, who also made it to the Australian Open quarter-finals, had his best Wimbledon run in 2018. That year, he won against fellow French player Richard Gasquet and Paolo Lorenzi, then beat American Sam Querrey before being knocked out in the fourth round by Kevin Anderson in a tough match with all sets decided by tie-breaks.
Last October, Monfils announced that 2026 would be his final year as a pro. “I picked up a racket for the first time when I was two and a half and turned pro at 18,” he said. “I just turned 39 a month ago, and I want to share that the year ahead will be my last as a professional tennis player. Playing tennis has been my passion and privilege for 21 years. Though it means the world to me, I’m at peace with retiring at the end of 2026.”
“When you love something so much, it’s never easy to say goodbye. But turning 40 feels like the right time. Winning one more title would be amazing, but my main goal for the next year is simple: to enjoy every moment and play every match like it’s my last.”