Gael Monfils will officially walk away from the tennis tour next year. The former world No. 6 turned professional in 2004 and has been entertaining crowds with his trickshots and showmanship ever since, but he will retire on home soil at the Paris Masters at the end of the 2026 season.
Monfils announced his retirement well in advance, sharing the news at the beginning of October. While he still has plenty of tennis left to play before his farewell in the La Defense Arena, the 39-year-old already knows exactly what he wants to do next – and he’ll be going down a completely different career path.
The current world No. 68 is set to swap his tennis racket for a suit, as he dreams of working in a bank. Speaking exclusively to Express Sport last year, Monfils revealed that his post-tennis plans were already in place – and he’s even completed work experience.
“I want to work in a financial way. I want to work in a bank. I’ve done some internship when I was out of the court,” the 13-time title winner explained.
“I’ve always been a bit curious about that side and then I’ve been reading a lot and I tried it out a little bit and then I had an opportunity to work a little bit in a private bank. I saw very curious people, very interesting people who gave me this passion and I think I really want to try it after my career.”
Monfils worked in different sectors and sat exams during his internship, giving himself the opportunity to walk straight into finance once he’s played his final match. The French star added: “It was information, to understand how everything works.
“From the system of the private banking, from also the commercial part, how to talk to clients, from the wealth management so you know about the economy and all the other stuff, and it was quite interesting. I had some homework to do, and then I passed some exams. It was very interesting.”
At the time, Monfils had no idea when he would eventually say goodbye to tennis and head into the world of banking. But he’s now set a date. The former world No. 6 announced the news in an emotional social media post.
“I held a racket in my hands for the first time at two and a half, and began playing professionally at 18. 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,” Monfils wrote.
“When you love something so much, it never feels like a good time to say goodbye. But 40 will be the right time for me. Of course, winning one more title before I’m done would be truly incredible. Truthfully though, my only real goal for the year ahead is simple: To enjoy every minute, and to play each match like it’s my last.”