History of Gaël Monfils in Timeline

Gaël Monfils is a French professional tennis player known for his athleticism and exciting playing style. He achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 6 in 2016. Monfils has reached two Grand Slam semifinals (2008 French Open, 2016 US Open) and three ATP Masters 1000 finals (Paris Masters in 2009 and 2010, Monte-Carlo Masters in 2016). He has won 13 ATP Tour singles titles throughout his career, solidifying his status as a top player.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1970: Oldest Quarterfinalist and Semifinalist

In 2025, at 38 years old, Gaël Monfils became the oldest quarterfinalist and semifinalist at the ASB Classic in Auckland since Roger Taylor in 1970.

1973: Third-Oldest to Defeat a Top-Five Opponent

In 2025, Gaël Monfils became the third-oldest player to defeat a top-five opponent at a major in the history of the ATP Rankings since 1973.

1977: Ken Rosewall's win in Hong Kong

In 2025, Gaël Monfils became the oldest champion on the ATP Tour since Ken Rosewall's win in Hong Kong in 1977 at age 43.

September 1986: Gaël Monfils Born in Paris

In September 1986, Gaël Sébastien Monfils was born in Paris, France, where he was also raised. His parents have origins in Guadeloupe and Martinique.

Others born on this day/year

1988: Reaching Fourth Round at 38+

In 2025, Gaël Monfils and Roger Federer were the only players to reach the fourth round at age 38 or older at the Australian Open, since the tournament expanded to 128 players when it moved to Melbourne Park in 1988.

1990: Tour's Establishment

In 1990, the ATP Tour was established, setting the stage for professional tennis as it's known today.

1990: Joining Elite Company in Masters 1000 Wins After 35

In 2024, Gaël Monfils recorded his 20th Masters 1000 win after turning 35, joining Federer, Karlovic, and Isner in sharing this feat (since 1990).

1990: Second Oldest Finalist Since ATP Tour Establishment

In 2025, Gaël Monfils became the second-oldest finalist since the ATP Tour was established in 1990, after Ivo Karlovic in Pune 2019.

1991: No Break Points Faced in a Five-Set Match

In 2025, Gaël Monfils became the only player ever not to face a break point in a five-set match at a Grand Slam since records started in 1991, in his win against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the Australian Open.

2000: Arnaud Clément's US Open Quarterfinals

In 2000, Arnaud Clément reached the US Open quarterfinals, a feat not repeated by another Frenchman until Gaël Monfils's performance in 2010.

2001: First Frenchman to reach Semifinals since 2001

In 2008, Gael Monfils became the first Frenchman to reach the semifinals of the French Open since 2001

January 2002: First Junior Match

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

2003: Played ITF Futures Events

From early 2003 to mid 2004, Gaël Monfils solely played ITF Futures events before turning professional, winning two titles during this period.

2003: Earned First ATP Point

In 2003, Monfils earned his first career ATP point at the France Futures No. 13 event, marking an early milestone in his professional career. He played in nine Futures events during the year.

February 2004: No. 1 Junior World Ranking

In February 2004, Monfils reached the No. 1 junior combined world ranking, highlighting his success in junior tennis.

September 2004: Thierry Champion as coach

In September 2004, Gaël Monfils was coached by Thierry Champion, a fellow countryman and former ATP professional.

2004: Year-End Ranking

Gaël 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.

2004: Reached Semifinals and Quarterfinals

In 2004, Gael Monfils reached the Semifinals of the Australian Open and the Quarterfinals of the French Open.

2004: ATP Debut and Paris Masters Qualification

In 2004, Gaël Monfils made his ATP debut at the Open de Moselle, securing his first ATP win against Xavier Malisse. He later qualified for the Paris Masters, marking his first Masters 1000 tournament.

2004: Turned Professional

In 2004, Gaël Monfils officially turned professional at the age of 17, transitioning from ITF Futures events where he won two titles.

2004: Won Junior Grand Slam Events

In 2004, Gaël Monfils won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon junior titles, and reached the third round of the US Open.

2005: ATP Newcomer of the Year

In 2005, Monfils was named the ATP Newcomer of the Year, marking the beginning of his successful career.

2005: Continual Final Appearances

Since 2005, Gaël Monfils reached at least one final every year.

September 2006: Parted Company with Thierry Champion

In September 2006, Gaël Monfils parted ways with his coach Thierry Champion, but his fitness trainer Rémi Barbarin remained.

2006: Reached Doha Final and Won Paddle Tennis Tournament

In 2006, Gaël Monfils reached the final in Doha but lost to Roger Federer. He also won a paddle tennis tournament in Las Vegas, surprising the field by defeating the world No. 1 paddle tennis player.

May 2007: Partnership with Tarik Benhabiles

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

2007: Australian Open and Other Tournaments

In 2007, Monfils lost to Richard Gasquet at the Australian Open and Juan Mónaco at Poertschach final. He also made it to the semifinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.

2007: Previous Wimbledon Appearance

In 2010, it was mentioned that this was Monfils' first time playing at Wimbledon since 2007, highlighting his absence from the tournament in previous years.

2008: Hired Roger Rasheed as coach

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

2008: French Open Semifinals and Olympics

In 2008, Gaël Monfils reached the semifinals of the French Open for the first time. He played at the Olympics in Beijing, reaching the quarterfinals. He also lost in the final of the BA-CA Tennis Trophy.

2008: Reached Major Semifinal

In 2008, Gaël Monfils reached the semifinals of the French Open, marking a highlight in his career.

2008: Withdrawal from Australian Open

In 2008, Monfils was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open due to a hamstring injury.

2009: Qatar Open and Australian Open

In 2009, Gaël Monfils played in the Qatar Open, upsetting Rafael Nadal, and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open before retiring due to a wrist injury. He also lost in the final at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.

2009: ATP Masters 1000 Final at Paris Masters

In 2009, Gaël Monfils reached the ATP Masters 1000 final at the Paris Masters.

2009: Japan Open and Shanghai Masters

In 2009, Monfils reached the semifinal stage of the Japan Open, losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He also competed in the Shanghai Masters, where he retired with a back injury. He lost the final in the 2009 Paris Masters against Novak Djokovic.

2009: Switched to Prince

In 2009, Monfils switched from Head to Prince for his racquets.

2009: Wimbledon Withdrawal and US Open

In 2009, Monfils withdrew from Wimbledon due to a wrist injury, later losing to Rafael Nadal at the US Open, but won the Open de Moselle. Despite jetlag, he also made the quarterfinals at the Malaysian Open.

2010: US Open, Rakuten Japan Open, Open Sud de France, Paris Masters

In 2010, Gaël Monfils lost to Novak Djokovic at the US Open in the quarterfinals, marking his first quarterfinal appearance at a major outside of the French Open. He was also the first Frenchman to reach the US Open quarterfinals since 2000. He was a runner-up at the Rakuten Japan Open, losing to Rafael Nadal, and won the Open Sud de France against Ivan Ljubičić. At the Paris Masters, he reached the final for the second consecutive year, securing three Top 10 wins before being defeated by Robin Söderling.

2010: ATP Masters 1000 Final at Paris Masters

In 2010, Gaël Monfils reached the ATP Masters 1000 final at the Paris Masters.

2010: Grass-Court Season and MercedesCup Final

In 2010, Monfils lost in the second round at the Aegon Championships and reached the second round at Wimbledon for the first time since 2007. He also reached his first final of the year at the MercedesCup, where he was forced to retire against Albert Montañés.

2010: Indian Wells Masters and Madrid Masters

In 2010, Monfils played in the Indian Wells Masters, losing to Simon Greul. He withdrew from several Masters 1000 events due to injury, eventually reaching the quarterfinals at the Madrid Masters. His next tournament was the 2010 French Open, where he had reached the quarterfinals the year before.

2010: Brisbane International and Australian Open

In 2010, Monfils started his season at the Brisbane International, losing in the semifinals. He withdrew from the Medibank International due to a shoulder injury and lost in the round of 32 at the Australian Open. He also lost in the semifinals at the SA Tennis Open.

2010: Switched to K-Swiss

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

2011: AAMI Kooyong Classic and San Jose Open

In 2011, Gaël Monfils began the year at the AAMI Kooyong Classic, losing to Lleyton Hewitt in the final. Following the 2011 Australian Open, he played in San Jose, reaching the semifinals before withdrawing due to a left wrist injury that had been affecting him since January.

2011: Patrick Chamagne New Coach

In 2011, Gaël Monfils parted ways with Roger Rasheed and announced that his fitness coach, Patrick Chamagne, would take over as his full-time coach.

2011: Legg Mason Tennis Classic, Canadian Masters, Cincinnati Masters, US Open and Stockholm Open

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, losing to Novak Djokovic in both. In July 2011, he achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 7. At the US Open, he lost in the second round to Juan Carlos Ferrero. Monfils won the Stockholm Open, defeating Jarkko Nieminen in the final.

2011: French Open and Wimbledon

In 2011, at the French Open, Gaël Monfils defeated David Ferrer to reach the quarterfinals, where he lost to Roger Federer. At Wimbledon, as the ninth seed, he was defeated by Łukasz Kubot in the third round.

November 2012: Split with his coach

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

2012: Qatar Open and Australian Open

In 2012, Gaël Monfils reached the final of the Qatar Open, where he lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. At the 2012 Australian Open, he reached the third round before losing to Mikhail Kukushkin, suffering from a back injury. In Montpellier, he lost the final to Tomáš Berdych.

2012: Madrid Masters and Injury Hiatus

In 2012, Gaël Monfils reached the third round of the Madrid Masters, losing to Tomáš Berdych. Due to a knee injury, he didn't play on tour from May to September. He made a comeback in September in Metz, reaching the quarterfinals. In October 2012, he withdrew from the Japan Open due to right knee pain, ending his season early.

2012: Played Doubles with Daryl

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

2012: Switched to Wilson

In 2012, Monfils switched from Prince to Wilson for his racquets.

2013: End of coaching with Patrick Chamagne

In 2013, Gaël Monfils ended his coaching arrangement with Patrick Chamagne.

2013: Doha, Auckland, and Australian Open

In 2013, Gaël Monfils reached the quarterfinals in Doha. He advanced to the semifinals in Auckland, where David Ferrer eliminated him. At the 2013 Australian Open, he was defeated in the third round by Gilles Simon.

2013: Montpellier, Rotterdam, French Open, Winston-Salem, and US Open

In 2013, Gaël Monfils was defeated in the second round of Montpellier by Richard Gasquet. He received a wildcard into Rotterdam, but was defeated in the first round by Juan Martín del Potro. At the 2013 French Open he upset Berdych in the first round. He reached the final in Winston-Salem, but bowed out to Jürgen Melzer due to an injury. At the US Open on August 27, 2013, he defeated Adrian Ungur in the first round but lost to John Isner in the second round.

2013: Switched to ASICS

In 2013, Monfils switched to ASICS for his clothing and shoes.

2014: Doha and Australian Open

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

2014: Montpellier and French Open

In 2014, Gaël Monfils won Montpellier, defeating Richard Gasquet. He injured his wrist in a match against Grigor Dimitrov and didn't play again until the 2014 French Open, where he reached the quarterfinals before losing to Andy Murray.

2014: US Open Quarterfinals

In 2014, at the US Open, Gaël Monfils reached the quarterfinals for a second time. He narrowly missed reaching his second Grand Slam semifinal, losing to Roger Federer in five sets, despite leading by two sets and holding two match points.

2014: First Top 10 Win at a Major Since 2014

In 2025, at the Australian Open, Gaël Monfils defeated Taylor Fritz for his first top 10 win at a major since 2014.

2015: Shares coach with Gilles Simon

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

2015: Australian Open

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

2015: Paris Masters and Year-End Reflection

In 2015, at the Paris Masters, Gaël Monfils was knocked out in the first round by Benoît Paire. He defined 2015 as a "year of regrets" where he "regressed, wasted a year because of certain choices".

2015: US Open Retirement and Coaching Change

In 2015, due to injuries, Gaël Monfils retired in the middle of his first-round match of the US Open against Illya Marchenko. He also ended his collaboration with his coach Jan de Witt, replacing him with Mikael Tillström.

2015: Monte Carlo Masters Semifinals

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

November 2016: Achieved Career-High Ranking

In November 2016, Gaël Monfils achieved his career-high singles ranking of world No. 6 by the ATP.

2016: Stockholm Open

In 2016, Gaël Monfils entered the Stockholm Open, where he was upset by Gastão Elias, resulting in his ranking dropping to No. 8.

2016: ATP World Tour Finals Debut

In 2016, Gaël Monfils qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals for the first time. He withdrew from the tournament with an injury after falling to Raonic and losing to Thiem.

2016: US Open Semifinals

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the US Open semifinals without dropping a set, but lost a controversial match to Novak Djokovic. He was criticized for his playing style during the match.

2016: Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid Masters, Rome Masters, French Open

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the quarterfinals of Indian Wells and Miami, losing to Raonic and Kei Nishikori, respectively. He reached the final in Monte Carlo, losing to Rafael Nadal. He caught a viral infection during his stay in Madrid and ended up losing in the second round to Pablo Cuevas and withdrew from the French Open as well. He lost in the first round of the Rome Masters to Thomaz Bellucci.

2016: Canadian Masters Semifinals

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the semifinals of the Canadian Masters after defeating Milos Raonic, but lost to Novak Djokovic, ending his win streak of 9 consecutive matches.

2016: Japan Open and Shanghai Masters

In 2016, Gaël Monfils reached the semifinals of the Japan Open, losing to Nick Kyrgios. At the Shanghai Masters, he defeated Kevin Anderson but lost to David Goffin, guaranteeing him to match his career-high ranking of No. 7.

2016: Australian Open and Rotterdam Open

In 2016, Gaël Monfils started the season at the Australian Open, reaching the quarterfinals for the first time, where he lost to Milos Raonic. He then reached the final of the Rotterdam Open, losing to Martin Kližan.

2016: Olympics Tennis Tournament

In 2016, at the Olympics tennis tournament, Gaël Monfils paired with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the men's doubles draw. In the men's singles draw, Monfils reached the quarterfinals and lost to Kei Nishikori.

February 2017: Top 10 Ranking

In February 2017, Gaël Monfils finished the year ranked in the top 10 in the world.

2019: Relationship Announced

In 2019, Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina publicly announced their relationship.

2019: Ivo Karlovic's Pune Final

In 2025, Gaël Monfils's achievement as the second-oldest finalist since the ATP Tour's establishment in 1990, was compared to Ivo Karlovic's final in Pune in 2019.

April 2021: Engagement Announced

In April 2021, Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina announced their engagement.

2022: Switched to Artengo

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

2023: Consecutive Seasons with ATP Final

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

April 2024: Return to Top 40 Ranking

On 8 April 2024, following a round of 16 showing at the Estoril Open, Gaël Monfils returned to the top 40 in the ATP rankings.

2024: Victory over Carlos Alcaraz and Return to Top 45

In 2024, at the Cincinnati Open, Gaël Monfils defeated world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, his first top 5 season win and ninth career top 3 victory. At 37 years and 9 months old, he became the fourth oldest man to beat a top 3 player and returned to the top 45 in the rankings.

2024: 550th Career Win and Masters Achievement

In 2024, at the Miami Open, Gaël Monfils achieved his 550th career win, becoming only the second Frenchman in the Open Era to reach that milestone behind Richard Gasquet, and the eighth active man to do so.

February 2025: Possible Retirement

In February 2025, Gaël Monfils confirmed that he would consider retiring from tennis if he suffered an injury setback during the 2025 season, shortly after becoming the oldest player to win an ATP Tour title in Auckland.

2025: Second Oldest to Win a Match at Miami Open

In 2025, Gaël Monfils became the second oldest player to win a match at the Miami Open, defeating Fabian Marozsan, and followed it up with a win over Jiri Lehecka, saving a match point.

2025: Oldest Champion on ATP Tour

In 2025, Gaël Monfils defeated Zizou Bergs to become the oldest champion on the ATP Tour and the oldest men's singles title winner since 43-year-old Ken Rosewall in 1977.

2025: Win against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard

In 2025, Gaël Monfils won against compatriot and 30th seed Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round at the Australian Open. The match had three tiebreaks, lasted close to four hours and marked the 21st consecutive season Monfils has won at least one major match.