French Open 2026: Gael Monfils Bids Farewell To Roland Garros

Gael Monfils: Showman Not Showoff

Whether diving to make a defensive play or sliding into a fiery forehand, Monfils wows crowds with his elastic athleticism. A fan favorite, Monfils makes most people’s top ten tennis players most fun to watch.

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Yet, despite reaching a career-high No. 6 and winning 13 ATP Tour titles during the Big Four era (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray), Monfils sometimes is criticized as an underachiever who prefers style over substance.

Perhaps he gained that reputation because when presented with a chance to put away an obvious winner, Monfils often opted for the spectacular. But the Frenchman scoffs at the idea that he sacrificed titles to gain applause.

After winning a quarterfinal match at the 2016 U.S. Open to reach the semifinals for the first time, Monfils responded to a reporter who suggested his approach to tennis was about showing off.

“If, today, you know, I drop my racquet and I do a slide you will say I will entertain people, you know, no matter what," Monfils said in a post-match press conference. "You make it up. Oh, like he’s doing a show…Or if I do a trick shot, one, and still kill it, you will say, I'm a showman. So, you know, this one, with all the respect to everyone, is you guys to put me on the spot.”

He also hinted that the media sometimes assigns the showboat label to him but not to other players, such as compatriot Lucas Pouille.

“Today I think I haven’t the chance to do it, but Lucas, hit two good tweeners. I don’t think you will tell him he tried to entertain,” Monfils said. "Come on," he said. "To be honest, I gonna hurt myself for people? No. I dive because I want to win the point. What's the point to make the show and lose, actually?"

Gael And Friends: Showman Gets The Stage He Deserves

Although, Monfils’ tennis career is coming to an end, expect to see him at many more tennis matches. His wife, Elina Svitolina is in the Top 10 and just won the Italian Open. Earlier this year, Svitolina dismantled No. 3 seed Coco Gauff at the Australian Open. Last year, they both knocked off the No. 4 seeds at the Australian Open.

Monfils considers his family and friends more important than anything that happens on the court.

"Tennis is part of my life, but tennis is not my life," he said after a tough five-set loss to Marton Fucsovics at Wimbledon in 2025. "My life outside of tennis is my real life."

The Gael and Friends show will feature two hours of exhibitions, music and fun. His wife, Elina Svitolina will join, Naomi Osaka, Jannik Sinner, Gasquet and Tsongo is celebrating LaMonf’s send off.

French celebrities DJ Martin Solveig, singer Matt Pokora and comedian Paul de Saint-Sernin will also perform.

As he prepared for the 2026 Australian Open, Monfils spoke to reporters about his mindset heading into his final season.

“You know, I’m quite good. I’m quite good. It’s a little bit different for me, because it’s something that you can’t learn and you cannot really predict in a way. So I’m in a learning process,” he said. “I think I'm quite happy with the people surrounding me and helping me to get through this new experience. So far it's okay.”

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