Barely retired, Gaël Monfils was named captain of the French Davis Cup team on Saturday, four days after the tribute paid to him at the Masters 1000 in Paris. A surprise appointment announced by the French Tennis Federation, which intends to capitalize on his 22 years of experience at the highest level.
Published on: 07/11/2026 - 12:38 Modified on: 07/11/2026 - 14:50
Gaël Monfils will not have dragged on his newly retired status for long: the former world number 6 was named captain of the French Davis Cup team on Saturday November 7, just four days after the tribute paid to the French showman on the sidelines of the Masters 1000 in Paris.
The surprise announcement was made late Saturday morning by the French Federation (FFT). “With his 22 years on the professional circuit, Gaël Monfils will bring to the French team all his experience at the highest level,” commented the FFT in a press release.
She added that "la Monf'", who succeeds Paul-Henri Mathieu at 40 - in office for three years -, would benefit in particular from "the support of Gilles Simon and Richard Gasquet", two other "Mousketeers" of French tennis in the 21st century - the fourth and last member being Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Read alsoTennis: Monfils, the legacy of a unique and unpredictable player
“Build a real collective project”
“It’s an immense source of pride. This blue jersey represents so many things for me. I want to build a real collective project and create the dynamic that will allow us to seek titles,” reacted Gaël Monfils, quoted in the press release.
“We are convinced that his communicative energy and his enthusiasm will be valuable assets in supporting the ambitions of French tennis,” said the president of the FFT, Gilles Moretton.
The nomination of the most spectacular French player of the 21st century is a surprise insofar as Monfils has just bowed out on the courts, in a context which is moreover particular.
While he was launched this season on a long farewell tour, the Frenchman, very popular in his country but also abroad, retired on the sly, withdrawing on October 5 from the list of active players with the anti-doping authorities, without waiting for the last tournaments in which he was to participate, in particular the Masters 1000 in Paris, which is currently being held.
The player, winner of 13 titles on the circuit since his debut in 2004 but fallen beyond 200th place in the ATP, ended up confirming the information himself on October 26, after his wife, the Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina, announced their separation.
Successor to “PHM”
“It was a very big decision due to my separation from Elina, which hurt me a lot as a human,” explained the double semi-finalist in Grand Slam tournaments, at Roland Garros in 2008 and at the US Open in 2016.
See alsoTennis player Gaël Monfils begins his last Roland-Garros
The Parisian showman was still entitled to a tribute in front of his audience on Tuesday evening, during the Masters 1000 in Paris, during which he spoke of a "not easy" moment.
"La Monf'" will have a little time ahead of him to make his mark as successor to "PHM", but also other names from the past like Yannick Noah or Guy Forget, since the next meeting of the Blues will not take place before February 2027.
In September, for the sixth time in seven years, France failed to qualify for the final phase of the Davis Cup after its defeat against Canada in Quebec, notably in the absence of French number one Arthur Fils. This final phase will take place at the end of November in Bologna (Italy).
As a player, Gaël Monfils played in two Davis Cup finals – in its old, much more popular version – in 2010 and 2014 but never lifted the Silver Salad Bowl.
With AFP
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