On October 1, the 39-year-old Frenchman announced his decision to retire after the 2026 season.
Monfils, who turned professional in 2004, will begin his final year in Auckland, where he is the defending champion, between January 12 and 17. After his fifth appearance in Auckland, the former world number 6 heads to Melbourne for his final Australian Open.
The tournament will host a women’s event the week before Monfils kicks off his title defense in Auckland. The Frenchman’s wife, Elina Svitolina, will play.
In October 2022, Monfils and Svitolina welcomed their first child, a girl Skai. And the French tennis player hopes to make his final season special for his daughter.
Monfils: A big chapter of my life… One last season, for her
“Final season. Today I’m heading out for what will be my last tennis season. A big chapter of my life,” the 39-year-old wrote on Instagram.
“Before I left, my daughter said to me, ‘Daddy, what if we put on our masks and become superheroes?’ She in her Spider-Man mask, me in my Black Panther mask. Because in her eyes I will always be a hero. And because through her eyes we can face the world together.
“I leave with that invisible mask on my heart. With pride. With gratitude. With love. One last season. For her. For me. For everything tennis has given me.”
In one of his previous interviews, Monfils admitted that he was thinking about walking away from professional tennis during the pandemic. But it was his wife Svitolina who encouraged him to continue during the pandemic and also after the birth of their daughter.
Monfils turns 40 in September, so that’s the age at which his professional tennis career should end.
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