Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Gaël Monfils

Discover the career path of Gaël Monfils, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Gaël Monfils is a French professional tennis player known for his athletic and acrobatic style. He achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 6 in 2016 and has won 13 ATP Tour singles titles. Monfils has reached 35 finals throughout his career. His best Grand Slam performances are semifinal appearances at the 2008 French Open and the 2016 US Open.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1970: Monfils oldest quarterfinalist and semifinalist since 1970

In 2025, Monfils became the oldest quarterfinalist and semifinalist at the ASB Classic in Auckland since Roger Taylor in 1970.

1973: Monfils becomes third-oldest player to defeat a top-five opponent since 1973

In 2025, Monfils became the third-oldest player (behind Rosewall twice) to defeat a top-five opponent at a major in the history of the ATP Rankings (since 1973) at the Australian Open.

1977: Monfils becomes oldest men's title winner since 1977

In 2025, following his victory at the ASB Classic, Monfils became the oldest-ever men's singles title winner since Ken Rosewall in 1977 in Hong Kong.

1988: Monfils reaches fourth round at age 38 at the Australian Open

In 2025, Monfils reached the fourth round at age 38 at the Australian Open, joining Roger Federer as the only one to do so since the tournament field expanded to 128 players when it moved to Melbourne Park in 1988.

1990: Monfils joins list of oldest ATP Title Winners since 1990

In 2023, Monfils joined a list of four players above the age of 37 to win an ATP title since 1990.

1990: Monfils Joins List of Players with 20 Masters 1000 Wins After 35 Since 1990

In 2024, at the Miami Open, Monfils earned his 20th Masters 1000 win after turning 35 years old, joining a list of players since 1990 to share this feat.

1990: Monfils records 73rd ATP semifinal win since 1990

In 2025, Monfils secured his 73rd ATP Tour semifinal win (second after Novak Djokovic) at the ASB Classic, since the ATP Tour was established in 1990.

1991: Monfils Sets Record at Australian Open

In 2025, at the Australian Open, Monfils became the only player ever not to face a break point in a five-set match at a Slam (since records started in 1991).

2000: First Frenchman since Arnaud Clément

In 2010 US Open, he is also the first Frenchman to make the US Open quarterfinals since Arnaud Clément in 2000.

2001: First Frenchman to reach the semifinals since 2001

In 2008 French Open, Monfils reached a semifinals berth for the first time at any Grand Slam, becoming the first Frenchman to reach the semifinals since 2001.

January 2002: First Junior Match

In January 2002, at the age of 15, Monfils played his first junior match at a grade 4 tournament in Sweden.

2003: Played ITF Futures Events

From early 2003 to mid 2004, Monfils played ITF Futures events, winning two titles.

2003: First ATP Point

In 2003, Monfils earned his first career ATP point at the France Futures No. 13 by reaching the second round. He played in nine Futures events this year, including a showing in the doubles final at the Spain Futures No. 27.

February 2004: No. 1 Junior World Ranking

In February 2004, Monfils reached the No. 1 junior combined world ranking.

September 2004: Coached by Thierry Champion

In September 2004, Gaël Monfils began being coached by Thierry Champion.

2004: Junior Grand Slam Wins and ATP Debut

In 2004, Monfils finished as the world's No. 1 junior, winning the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon junior titles. In October 2004, he made his ATP debut as a wildcard entrant at the Moselle Open in Metz, reaching the quarterfinals.

2004: ATP Debut at Open de Moselle

In 2004, Monfils made his ATP debut at the Open de Moselle after receiving a wildcard, where he defeated Xavier Malisse for his first ATP win, reaching the quarterfinals.

2004: Junior Grand Slam Results

In 2004, Monfils reached the semifinals of the Australian Open juniors tournament and the quarterfinals of the French Open juniors tournament. He did not participate in the junior tournaments at Wimbledon and the US Open.

2004: Turned Professional

In 2004, at the age of 17, Monfils officially turned professional, having played ITF Futures events from early 2003 to mid-2004 and winning two titles.

2004: Year-End Ranking

Monfils ended 2004 with a year-end ranking of world No. 239, a jump from his ranking of No. 925 at the start of the year.

2005: Reached at least one final every year since 2005

Since 2005, Gaël Monfils has reached at least one final every year in ATP tournaments. In 2005, all of Monfils' ATP World Tour singles titles came under the ATP World Tour 250 Series category.

September 2006: Parted company with Thierry Champion

In September 2006, Gaël Monfils and his coach Thierry Champion ended their partnership.

2006: Doha Final and Paddle Tennis Win

In 2006, Monfils reached the final in Doha, losing to Roger Federer. He also won a paddle tennis tournament in Las Vegas, defeating the world No. 1 paddle tennis player.

May 2007: Partnership with Tarik Benhabiles

In May 2007, Gaël Monfils announced a partnership with a new coach, Tarik Benhabiles.

2007: Australian Open and French Open results

In 2007, Monfils lost in the third round of the Australian Open to Richard Gasquet. He also lost in the final in Poertschach to Juan Mónaco and in the third round of the French Open to David Nalbandian.

2007: Playing at Wimbledon

Monfils played at Wimbledon for the first time since 2007, he won his first match in straight sets against Leonardo Mayer, and his second round match in four sets against Karol Beck.

2008: Hired Roger Rasheed as coach

For the 2008 season, Gaël Monfils hired Roger Rasheed as his coach.

2008: French Open Semifinal

In 2008, Gaël Monfils reached the semifinals of the French Open, one of his best results at the Majors.

2008: French Open Semifinal and Olympic Games

In 2008, Monfils reached the semifinals of the French Open, losing to Roger Federer. He also participated in the Olympics in Beijing, losing in the quarterfinals to Novak Djokovic. A shoulder injury forced Monfils to withdraw from Wimbledon shortly before he was due to play his first-round match.

2009: Switched to Prince

In 2009, Gaël Monfils switched from Head to Prince for his racquet sponsorship.

2009: Qatar Open, Australian Open, and Abierto Mexicano Telcel

In 2009, Monfils played in the Qatar Open, causing an upset against Rafael Nadal, but lost to Andy Roddick. At the Australian Open, he retired against Gilles Simon due to a wrist injury. He also lost in the final of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel to Nicolás Almagro.

2009: Japan Open and Paris Masters

In 2009, Monfils reached the semifinal stage of the Japan Open, losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He also made his first Masters final at the Paris Masters, where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic.

2009: Wrist Injury, US Open, and Open de Moselle Win

In 2009, Monfils withdrew from Wimbledon due to a wrist injury. He lost to Rafael Nadal at the US Open but won the Open de Moselle against Philipp Kohlschreiber.

2010: Switched to K-Swiss

In 2010, Gaël Monfils switched from Nike to K-Swiss for his clothes and shoes sponsorship.

2010: Brisbane International and Australian Open

In 2010, Monfils began his season at the Brisbane International, losing in the semifinals to Radek Štěpánek. He also lost in the round of 32 at the Australian Open to John Isner.

2010: US Open Quarterfinals and Paris Masters Final

In 2010, Monfils reached the US Open quarterfinals, losing to Novak Djokovic. He also won the Open Sud de France and reached the final of the Paris Masters, losing to Robin Söderling.

2010: Wimbledon and MercedesCup

In 2010, Monfils returned to Wimbledon for the first time since 2007, losing to Lleyton Hewitt. He reached the final at the MercedesCup but was forced to retire against Albert Montañés.

2010: Indian Wells Masters and Madrid Masters

In 2010, Monfils withdrew from several Masters 1000 events due to injury but reached the quarterfinals at the Madrid Masters, losing to Rafael Nadal.

2011: Reached Quarterfinals at the French Open

At the 2011 French Open, Monfils defeated David Ferrer to reach the quarterfinals, where he lost to Roger Federer.

2011: Lost in the Second Round at US Open

At the 2011 US Open, Monfils lost in the second round to Juan Carlos Ferrero.

2011: Parted ways with Roger Rasheed

In 2011, Gaël Monfils parted ways with Roger Rasheed, and Patrick Chamagne became his new full-time coach.

2011: Lost to Lleyton Hewitt at AAMI Kooyong Classic Final

In 2011, Gaël Monfils started the year at the AAMI Kooyong Classic. He lost in the final to Lleyton Hewitt.

2011: Reached Quarterfinals at Canadian and Cincinnati Masters

In 2011, Monfils reached the quarterfinals of both the Canadian Masters and the Cincinnati Masters, losing to Novak Djokovic in both.

2011: Reached Finals at Legg Mason Tennis Classic

In 2011, at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C., Monfils reached the finals but lost to Radek Štěpánek.

2011: Reached Career-High Ranking

In July 2011, Gaël Monfils reached his career-high ranking of world No. 7.

2011: Won Stockholm Open

In October 2011, Monfils won his fourth ATP career title at the Stockholm Open, beating Jarkko Nieminen in the final.

November 2012: Split with his coach

On 15 November 2012, Monfils split with his coach.

2012: Progressed to the Third Round of the Australian Open

At the 2012 Australian Open, Monfils progressed to the third round before losing to Mikhail Kukushkin due to a back injury.

2012: Lost to Berdych at Madrid Masters

In 2012, Gaël Monfils reached the third round of the Madrid Masters, losing to Tomáš Berdych.

2012: Switched to Wilson

In 2012, Gaël Monfils switched from Prince to Wilson for his racquet sponsorship.

2012: Doubles with Daryl

In 2012, Gaël and his brother Daryl Monfils played doubles together in the Open Sud de France, but they lost in the first round.

2012: Reached Final of Qatar Open

In 2012, Monfils began the year by reaching the final of the Qatar Open, where he lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

2013: Reached Quarterfinals in Doha

Gaël Monfils attempted another comeback with the beginning of the 2013 season in Doha, where he reached the quarterfinals.

2013: Reached the Third Round of the Australian Open

Gaël Monfils made it to the third round of the 2013 Australian Open, but was defeated by Gilles Simon.

2013: Reached Semifinals in Auckland

In 2013, Gaël Monfils reached the semifinals in Auckland, being eliminated by David Ferrer.

2013: Switched to ASICS

In 2013, Gaël Monfils switched to ASICS for his clothes and shoes sponsorship.

2013: Reached Final in Winston-Salem

In 2013, Monfils reached the final in Winston-Salem, but bowed out to Jürgen Melzer due to an injury.

2013: End of coaching by Patrick Chamagne

In 2013, Patrick Chamagne stopped coaching Gaël Monfils.

2013: Defeated Berdych at French Open

In 2013, after a good clay season with a win at the Bordeaux Challenger and a final at the Nice ATP tournament, Gaël Monfils upset Berdych in the first round of the French Open.

2013: Lost to Robredo at French Open

In 2013, at the French Open, Monfils faced Tommy Robredo in the third round. Monfils lost the match in five sets after winning the first two.

2013: Upsets Federer at Shanghai Masters

In October 2013, at the Shanghai Masters, Monfils upset Roger Federer in the third round before losing to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.

2013: Defeated Ungur and Lost to Isner at US Open

On August 27, 2013, Monfils defeated Adrian Ungur in the first round of the US Open, but lost to John Isner in the second round.

2014: Reached Quarterfinals at US Open

At the 2014 US Open, Monfils reached the quarterfinals and lost to Roger Federer in five sets, despite leading by two sets to love and holding two match points.

2014: Lost to Nadal in Doha Final

In 2014, Monfils reached his third final in Doha and lost to Rafael Nadal in three sets.

2014: Lost to Nadal at Australian Open

In 2014, Monfils was defeated by Nadal in the third round of the Australian Open.

2014: Won Montpellier

In 2014, Monfils won Montpellier, defeating Richard Gasquet.

2014: Monfils earns his first top 10 win at a major since 2014.

In 2025, Monfils earned his first top 10 win at a major since 2014 at the Australian Open against fourth seed Taylor Fritz.

2015: Shares coach Jan De Witt

As of the 2015 French Open, Gaël Monfils shares coach Jan De Witt with Gilles Simon.

2015: Performance at the French Open

At the 2015 French Open, Gaël Monfils defeated Édouard Roger-Vasselin and Diego Schwartzman, but lost to Roger Federer in the round of 16.

2015: Retired at US Open and Changed Coach

Due to injuries, Gaël Monfils' performance in America in 2015 was poor. He retired in his first-round match of the 2015 US Open. He also ended his collaboration with his coach Jan de Witt, replacing him with Mikael Tillström.

2015: Reached Semifinals at Monte Carlo Masters

In 2015, Monfils made his season debut on clay at the Monte Carlo Masters, beating Andrey Kuznetsov, Roger Federer, and Grigor Dimitrov before losing to Tomáš Berdych in the semifinals.

2015: Played at the Australian Open

In 2015, Monfils played his first tournament at the Australian Open, defeating Lucas Pouille in the first round before losing to Jerzy Janowicz.

2015: Knocked out at Paris Masters

In 2015, at the Paris Masters, Gaël Monfils was knocked out in the first round by Benoît Paire. Monfils defined 2015 as a "year of regrets".

November 2016: Achieved Career-High Ranking

In November 2016, Gaël Monfils achieved his career-high ranking of world No. 6 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).

2016: Reached Quarterfinals at the Australian Open

Gaël Monfils started the 2016 season at the Australian Open, reaching the quarterfinals for the first time, where he lost to Milos Raonic.

2016: Shanghai Masters Performance

In 2016, Gaël Monfils entered the Shanghai Masters seeded sixth, and despite winning his second round, ultimately lost in the third round to David Goffin. However, the run guaranteed him to match his career-high ranking of No. 7 once again.

2016: Qualified and Withdrew from ATP World Tour Finals

In 2016, Gaël Monfils qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals for the first time but withdrew from the tournament with an injury.

2016: Reached Final at Monte Carlo Masters

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the final of the Monte Carlo Masters, losing to Rafael Nadal.

2016: Reached Final at Rotterdam Open

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the final of the Rotterdam Open, losing to Martin Kližan.

2016: Participated in 2016 Olympics

In August 2016, Gaël Monfils paired with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the men's doubles draw at the Olympics. Monfils also reached the quarterfinals in the men's singles draw.

2016: Reached Quarterfinals at Indian Wells and Miami Masters

In March 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells and Miami ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments, losing to Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori respectively.

2016: Reached Semifinals at Japan Open

In October 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the semifinals at the Japan Open, losing to Nick Kyrgios.

2016: Loss at Stockholm Open

The following week in 2016, Gaël Monfils entered the Stockholm Open and was upset by Gastão Elias, resulting in his ranking dropping to No. 8.

2016: Reached Semifinals of Canadian Masters

The week following the Citi Open win in 2016, Monfils reached the semifinals of the Canadian Masters after defeating Milos Raonic, before losing to Novak Djokovic.

February 2017: Monfils finishes the year in the top 10

In February 2017, Gaël Monfils finished the year ranked in the top 10, reaching World No. 10 for the first time since February 2017.

2019: Reached Quarterfinals at US Open

In 2019, Monfils reached his first quarterfinal at any Major since the 2019 US Open.

2019: Monfils is second oldest to win three matches at 1000-level after Karlovic in 2019

In 2025, Monfils became the second oldest player to win three matches at the 1000-level after Ivo Karlovic in Indian Wells in 2019 at the Miami Open.

2019: Monfils becomes second-oldest finalist since 2019

In 2025, Monfils became the second-oldest finalist since Ivo Karlovic in Pune 2019, following his semifinal win at the ASB Classic in Auckland.

January 2022: Monfils last match since Australian Open

In January 2022, the 2023 French Open marked Monfils' first match at a Major since the Australian Open.

October 2022: Monfils ends season early due to injury

On October 31, 2022, Monfils ended his season early due to a foot injury sustained at the Montreal Masters.

2022: Switched to Artengo

At the start of the 2022 season, Gaël Monfils switched his apparel and racquet sponsors to Decathlon's tennis line, Artengo. He is now using their TR960 Control Tour racquet.

2023: Consecutive ATP Tour Singles Final

From 2005 to 2023, Monfils reached at least one ATP Tour singles final every year for 19 consecutive seasons.

2023: Monfils Returns to Play at the French Open

In 2023, Gaël Monfils won his first round match at the French Open, marking his return to play after recovering from a foot injury.

2023: Monfils wins Stockholm Open, breaks hardcourt record

In 2023, Gaël Monfils won the Stockholm Open, becoming the oldest champion in the tournament's history. He also recorded his 356th hardcourt win, breaking the record for the most hardcourt wins by a French player.

April 2024: Monfils Returns to Top 40 After Estoril Open

Following a round of 16 showing at the 2024 Estoril Open, Monfils returned to the top 40 in the rankings on April 8, 2024.

2024: Monfils defeats Alcaraz at Cincinnati Open, returns to top 45

In 2024, at the Cincinnati Open, Monfils defeated world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz and returned to the top 45 in the rankings.

2024: Monfils Achieves 550th Career Win at Miami Open

In 2024, at the Miami Open, Monfils achieved his 550th career win, becoming only the second Frenchman in the Open Era to reach that milestone.

February 2025: Potential retirement due to injury

In February 2025, Gaël Monfils confirmed that he would quit tennis if he suffered an injury setback during the 2025 season, following his ATP Tour title win in Auckland.

2025: Monfils Advances to Australian Open Fourth Round

In 2025, Monfils advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open, defeating fourth seed Taylor Fritz, his first top 10 win at a major since 2014.

2025: Oldest ATP Tour Champion

In 2025, Monfils became the oldest ATP Tour champion since the Tour's establishment in 1990.

2025: Monfils becomes oldest champion on ATP Tour at Auckland

In 2025, Monfils became the oldest champion on the ATP Tour, after winning the ASB Classic in Auckland.

2025: Monfils Wins Multiple Matches at Miami Open

In 2025, at the Miami Open, Monfils became the second oldest player to win a match at the tournament and reached the fourth round, becoming the second oldest player to win three matches at the 1000-level after Ivo Karlovic in Indian Wells in 2019.