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 renowned for his athleticism and entertaining style. He achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 6 in November 2016. Monfils has secured 13 ATP Tour singles titles, reaching 35 finals overall. His most notable Grand Slam performances include reaching the semifinals of the 2008 French Open and the 2016 US Open.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1970: Monfils Becomes Oldest Semifinalist and Quarterfinalist Since 1970

In 2025, at the ASB Classic, Gaël Monfils became the oldest quarterfinalist and semifinalist since 1970.

1973: Monfils Becomes Third-Oldest Player to Defeat Top-Five Opponent Since 1973

In 2025, at the Australian Open, Gaël Monfils became the third-oldest player to defeat a top-five opponent at a major since 1973, when he defeated fourth seed Taylor Fritz to reach the fourth round.

1977: Monfils Becomes Oldest Champion Since Rosewall in 1977

In 2025, Gaël Monfils became the oldest champion on the ATP Tour and the oldest-ever men's singles title winner since Ken Rosewall in 1977.

1988: Monfils Joins Federer in Reaching Fourth Round at Age 38 or Older

In 2025, Gaël Monfils joined Roger Federer as the only players to reach the fourth round at age 38 or older 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, Gaël Monfils became one of the oldest players to win an ATP title since 1990, at the age of 37. He joined Roger Federer, Ivo Karlovic and Feliciano Lopez on this list.

1990: Monfils achieves Masters 1000 win after turning 35 since 1990

In 2024, Gaël Monfils joined Roger Federer, Ivo Karlovic and John Isner in achieving his 20th Masters 1000 win after turning 35 years old since 1990.

1990: Monfils Becomes Second-Oldest Finalist Since ATP Tour Establishment in 1990

In 2025, after his 73rd ATP Tour semifinal win, Gaël Monfils became the second-oldest finalist since the establishment of the ATP Tour in 1990.

1991: Monfils sets Slam record at 2025 Australian Open

In 2025, at the Australian Open, Gaël 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) when he won against compatriot and 30th seed Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

2000: First Frenchman at US Open Quarterfinals Since 2000

At the 2010 US Open, it was Monfils' first quarterfinals at a major besides the French Open. He is also the first Frenchman to make the US Open quarterfinals since Arnaud Clément in 2000.

2001: First Frenchman to reach Semifinals Since 2001

At the 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: ITF Futures Events

From early 2003 to mid 2004 Monfils solely 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 also played a total of nine Futures events.

February 2004: No. 1 Junior World Ranking

In February 2004, Monfils reached the No. 1 junior combined world ranking. During 2004, he also won boys' singles titles at the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon.

September 2004: Monfils coached by Thierry Champion

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

2004: World's No. 1 Junior and ATP Debut

In 2004, Monfils finished as the world's No. 1 junior, winning the first three of four junior Grand Slam events (Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon). In October 2004, he made his ATP debut as a wildcard entrant at the Moselle Open in Metz.

2004: ATP Debut at Open de Moselle

In 2004, Monfils made his ATP debut at the Open de Moselle after receiving a wildcard into the main draw. He defeated Xavier Malisse in the first round for his first ever ATP win.

2004: Year-End Ranking of World No. 239

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

2004: Turns Pro

Monfils officially turned pro in 2004 at the age of 17. He solely played ITF Futures events from early 2003 to mid 2004 winning two titles.

2005: Early Career Finals

In 2005, Gaël Monfils had already reached at least 3 finals each across all categories, except Grand Slams and Tour Finals.

2005: ATP Newcomer of the Year

In 2005, Monfils was named the ATP Newcomer of the Year. He would continue to reach at least one ATP Tour singles final every year for 19 consecutive seasons.

September 2006: Monfils and Thierry Champion parted company

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

2006: Doha Final and Paddle Tennis Tournament Win

In 2006, Monfils reached the final at Doha, losing to Roger Federer. In a surprising event in Las Vegas, Monfils won a paddle tennis tournament after receiving a wildcard entry.

May 2007: Monfils partnered with Tarik Benhabiles

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

2007: Australian Open and French Open Results

In 2007, at the Australian Open, Monfils lost to Richard Gasquet in the third round. He also lost in the third round of the French Open to David Nalbandian.

2008: French Open Semifinal

At the 2008 French Open, Monfils reached a semifinals berth for the first time at any Grand Slam. He was defeated by Roger Federer.

2008: Monfils hired Roger Rasheed as his coach

In 2008, Gaël Monfils hired Roger Rasheed as his coach.

2009: Monfils changed racquet sponsor

In 2009, Gaël Monfils changed his racquet sponsor from Head to Prince.

2009: US Open and Open de Moselle

In 2009, Monfils lost to Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the US Open. However, he won the Open de Moselle, defeating Philipp Kohlschreiber in the final.

2009: Japan Open Semifinal and Paris Masters Final

In 2009, Monfils reached the semifinal stage at 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: Qatar Open and Australian Open Results

In 2009, at the Qatar Open, Monfils upset Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. At the Australian Open, Monfils lost to Gilles Simon in the fourth round due to a wrist injury.

2010: Monfils changed sponsors

In 2010, Gaël Monfils changed his clothing and shoe sponsor from Nike to K-Swiss.

2010: Brisbane International and Australian Open Results

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

2010: Grass-Court Season and MercedesCup Final

In 2010, Monfils lost in the second round at the Aegon Championships. He reached his first final of the year at the MercedesCup, but was forced to retire against Albert Montañés.

2010: US Open Quarterfinals and Paris Masters Final

In 2010, Monfils lost to Novak Djokovic in the US Open quarterfinals. He was runner-up at the Rakuten Japan Open, losing to Rafael Nadal. He also won his third tournament at the Open Sud de France, defeating Ivan Ljubičić. He reached the final for the second consecutive year at the 2010 Paris Masters.

2010: Indian Wells Masters and Madrid Masters

In 2010, at the Indian Wells Masters, Monfils lost to Simon Greul. He reached the quarterfinals at the Madrid Masters, losing to Rafael Nadal.

2011: AAMI Kooyong Classic Final Loss

In 2011, Gaël Monfils began the year at the AAMI Kooyong Classic, where he reached the final but lost to Lleyton Hewitt.

2011: Monfils parted ways with Roger Rasheed

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

2011: Legg Mason Tennis Classic Final, Canadian and Cincinnati Masters Quarterfinals, Stockholm Open Title

In 2011, Gaël Monfils reached the final of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, losing to Radek Štěpánek. He also reached the quarterfinals of the Canadian Masters and the Cincinnati Masters. In October of 2011, Monfils won the Stockholm Open, defeating Jarkko Nieminen.

2011: 2011 French Open and Wimbledon Performances

In 2011, at the French Open, Gaël Monfils reached the quarterfinals, losing to Roger Federer. At Wimbledon in 2011, he was defeated in the third round by Łukasz Kubot.

November 2012: Monfils split with his coach

On 15 November 2012, Gaël Monfils split with his coach.

2012: Gaël and Daryl played doubles together

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

2012: Monfils changed racquet sponsor again

In 2012, Gaël Monfils changed his racquet sponsor from Prince to Wilson.

2012: Madrid Masters and Injury Layoff

In 2012, Gaël Monfils reached the third round of the Madrid Masters, losing to Tomáš Berdych. Later in 2012, he was sidelined due to a knee injury.

2012: Qatar Open Final and Australian Open Third Round

In 2012, Gaël Monfils started the year by reaching the final of the Qatar Open, losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He also progressed to the third round of the 2012 Australian Open before losing to Mikhail Kukushkin.

2013: 2013 Season Start and Australian Open

In 2013, Gaël Monfils reached the quarterfinals in Doha and the semifinals in Auckland. At the 2013 Australian Open, he was defeated in the third round by Gilles Simon.

2013: Monfils switched to ASICS

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

2013: Monfils' coach lasted until 2013

In 2013, Patrick Chamagne ceased to be Gaël Monfils' coach.

2013: French Open and Winston-Salem Final

In 2013, at the French Open, Gaël Monfils reached the third round. Later in 2013, he reached the final in Winston-Salem but had to retire due to injury.

2013: Shanghai Masters Upset and Quarterfinal

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

2014: US Open Quarterfinal Loss

At the 2014 US Open, Gaël Monfils reached the quarterfinals but lost to Roger Federer in five sets, despite leading by two sets.

2014: Doha Final and Australian Open Third Round

In 2014, Gaël Monfils reached the final in Doha and lost to Rafael Nadal. He was also beaten by Nadal in the third round of the 2014 Australian Open.

2014: Montpellier Win and French Open Quarterfinal

In 2014, Gaël Monfils won in Montpellier, defeating Richard Gasquet. At the 2014 French Open, he reached the quarterfinals before losing to Andy Murray.

2014: Monfils Achieves First Top 10 Win at a Major Since 2014

In 2025, at the Australian Open, Gaël Monfils defeated fourth seed Taylor Fritz, achieving his first top 10 win at a major since 2014, and reaching the fourth round.

2015: Monfils shares coach Jan De Witt

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

2015: US Open Retirement and Coaching Change

In 2015, Gaël Monfils had poor performance in America due to injuries, retiring in his first-round match of the US Open. He also ended his collaboration with coach Jan de Witt.

2015: 2015 Australian Open Performance

In 2015, Gaël Monfils played his first tournament at the Australian Open. He won his first round match against Lucas Pouille in 5 sets, before losing to Jerzy Janowicz in another five setter.

2015: Monte Carlo Masters Semifinal

In 2015, at the Monte Carlo Masters, Gaël Monfils beat Andrey Kuznetsov, Roger Federer and Grigor Dimitrov but lost to Tomáš Berdych in the semifinals.

2015: Paris Masters Loss and Season Reflection

In 2015, at the Paris Masters, Gaël Monfils lost in the first round to Benoît Paire. Monfils described 2015 as a "year of regrets."

2016: ATP World Tour Finals Qualification and Withdrawal

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

2016: Australian Open Quarterfinals and Rotterdam Open Final

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the Australian Open quarterfinals, losing to Milos Raonic. He also reached the Rotterdam Open final, losing to Martin Kližan.

2016: Japan Open Semifinal and Shanghai Masters

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the Japan Open semifinal, losing to Nick Kyrgios. At the Shanghai Masters, he lost to David Goffin, but matched his career-high ranking of No. 7.

2016: US Open Semifinal and Controversy

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the US Open semifinals, losing to Novak Djokovic in a controversial match where he was criticized for his playing style.

2016: Masters Tournaments and Viral Infection

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells and Miami Masters. He reached the final in Monte Carlo, losing to Rafael Nadal. A viral infection caused him to withdraw from the French Open in 2016.

2016: Canadian Masters Semifinal

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the semifinals of the Canadian Masters after defeating Milos Raonic, but lost to Novak Djokovic.

2016: Stockholm Open Loss

In 2016, Gaël Monfils was upset by Gastão Elias at the Stockholm Open, causing his ranking to drop to No. 8.

2016: Olympics Performance

In 2016, at the Olympics, Gaël Monfils partnered with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in doubles and reached the singles quarterfinals, losing to Kei Nishikori.

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, a position he hadn't held since February 2017.

2019: Monfils reached the Quarterfinals of the US Open

In 2019, at the US Open, Gaël Monfils reached the quarterfinals, marking his first quarterfinal appearance at any Major since the 2019 US Open. He achieved this by defeating Federico Coria, Alexander Bublik, 16th seed Cristian Garín and Miomir Kecmanović, all in straight sets.

2019: Monfils Becomes Second Oldest Player to Win Three Matches

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

2019: Monfils Becomes Second-Oldest Finalist Since Karlovic in 2019

In 2025, Gaël Monfils became the second-oldest finalist at the ASB Classic since Ivo Karlovic in Pune 2019, after his 73rd ATP Tour semifinal win.

January 2022: Monfils Wins First Match Since Return

In January 2022, at the French Open, Gaël Monfils won his first round match, coming from two breaks down in the fifth set against Sebastian Baez. This marked his first match win since his return and at a Major since the Australian Open in January 2022.

2022: Monfils switched to Artengo

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

2023: Monfils Returns from Hiatus

In 2023, Gaël Monfils came back from a four-month hiatus at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, using a protected ranking. Later, at the French Open, he won his first round match, coming from two breaks down in the fifth set over Sebastian Baez.

2023: Monfils reached the Quarterfinals at the Canadian Open

In 2023, Gaël Monfils reached the quarterfinals at the Canadian Open, defeating Christopher Eubanks, fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, and lucky loser Aleksandar Vukic, before losing to Jannik Sinner. He also debuted at the 2023 Laver Cup, participating in team Europe using protected ranking.

2023: Monfils Wins Stockholm Open Title

In 2023, Gaël Monfils won the Stockholm Open, defeating Marton Fucsovics, Filip Misolic, Adrian Mannarino, Laslo Djere and Pavel Kotov. He became the oldest champion in the tournament's history, with a 12-year gap between titles, and climbed 50 spots in the top 90. He also recorded his 356th hardcourt win, the most of any French player.

2023: 19 Consecutive Seasons with ATP Tour Singles Final

In 2023, Monfils reached at least one ATP Tour singles final every year for 19 consecutive seasons, becoming one of five players in the Open Era to achieve this.

April 2024: Monfils Returns to Top 40

On April 8, 2024, following a round of 16 showing at the Estoril Open, Gaël Monfils returned to the top 40 in the rankings. He also recorded his 122nd Major win at the French Open, the most of any French player at the Grand Slam level.

2024: Monfils Reaches Fourth Round at Indian Wells and Miami Open

In 2024, at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Gaël Monfils defeated Max Purcell, Hubert Hurkacz, and Cameron Norrie to reach the fourth round, moving back into the top 50 rankings. At the Miami Open, he reached the third round, achieving his 550th career win, becoming only the second Frenchman in the Open Era to reach that milestone. It was also his 20th Masters 1000 win after turning 35 years old since 1990.

2024: Monfils Defeats Carlos Alcaraz and Returns to Top 45

In 2024, following a round of 16 at the Cincinnati Open, Gaël Monfils defeated world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, marking his first top 5 season win and ninth career top 3 victory. As a result, he returned to the top 45 in the rankings. He became the fourth oldest man to beat a top 3 player.

February 2025: Monfils considered quitting tennis

In February 2025, Gaël Monfils confirmed that he would quit tennis if he suffered an injury setback during the 2025 season, just after he became the oldest player to win an ATP Tour title in Auckland at age 38 years and four months old.

2025: Oldest ATP Tour Champion

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

2025: Monfils Achieves Milestones at ASB Classic

In 2025, at 38-years-old, Gaël Monfils became the oldest quarterfinalist, semifinalist, and finalist at the ASB Classic in Auckland since 1970, before defeating Zizou Bergs and becoming the oldest champion on the ATP Tour since 1977.

2025: Monfils Achieves Records at 2025 Australian Open

In 2025, at the Australian Open, Gaël Monfils became the only player ever not to face a break point in a five-set match at a Slam since 1991. He defeated Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Daniel Altmaier, and Taylor Fritz to reach the fourth round, marking his 21st consecutive season with at least one major match win. He also achieved his first top 10 win at a major since 2014 and became the third-oldest player to defeat a top-five opponent at a major since 1973.

2025: Monfils Achieves Milestones at 2025 Miami Open

In 2025, at the Miami Open, Gaël Monfils became the second oldest player to win a match at the tournament after Jimmy Connors, defeating Fabian Marozsan. He then defeated Jiri Lehecka and Jaume Munar to reach the fourth round, becoming the second oldest player to win three matches at the 1000-level.