For nearly two decades, Gal Monfils made a tennis court his theatre. There were the impossible retrievals, the acrobatic slides, the elastic limbs, the spectacular winners and, above all, the sense that nobody quite knew what he might do next.
Soon, though, the Frenchman will trade the court for an office, his tennis kit for a suit and the freedom of competition for a career in finance.
Monfils, who suffered a straight-sets defeat to Learner Tien in his final US Open appearance in New York, has already mapped out what comes next. There will be a little more tennis before the curtain finally falls, with the 40-year-old planning to play at the ATP 250 in Lyon from October 19-25, and perhaps the ATP 500 in Vienna the following week. His final tournament is expected to be the Rolex Paris Masters, from November 2-8.
Then comes the real change.
“I’m going to work in finance, in wealth management for a Swiss company, Alpha Suisse,” Monfils revealed after his US Open exit.
“So my next chapter will take place in an office, in a suit.”
It is an image that seems almost deliberately at odds with ‘La Monf’, the nickname attached to one of the most naturally entertaining players of his generation. But Monfils insists that the man seen jumping, diving and smiling on a tennis court is only one part of his personality.
When a journalist expressed surprise at his choice of a decidedly serious second career, Monfils explained he is quite different at home from the man that we all see on screen.
“You should ask my wife, you’d be very surprised!” he said.
“Obviously, on the tennis court, I’m just as you see me,” he said. “She might tell you she wishes I were like that at home.”
Away from competition, Monfils describes himself as stricter, more serious and, perhaps surprisingly for a player whose game has often appeared improvised, something of a perfectionist.
“I like everything done right away,” he said. “I’m a bit of a perfectionist. It fits rather well with my next chapter.”
The transition, then, is unlikely to be a complete reinvention. Monfils says finance is something he has been passionate about and working towards for several years. With his young daughter Skai starting school, he also wants to remain active rather than simply walk away from professional life.
“I want to stay active,” he said.
‘MY WIFE IS STILL PLAYING’
Tennis, meanwhile, will not disappear completely. His wife, Ukrainian star Elina Svitolina, remains on tour, and Monfils expects to follow the sport and support her. But he does not envisage himself becoming deeply involved in tennis once his playing days are over.
“I’ll still keep an eye on tennis because I love the sport, and my wife is still playing,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll be doing much in tennis next year. I’ll obviously be around to support Elina a bit, but I’ll mainly be a finance guy.”
That final phrase perhaps captures the peculiar charm of Monfils’ next chapter. For years, he was one of tennis’ most recognisable personalities, a player who could make even a routine match feel like an event. He won 13 ATP singles titles, reached a career-high ranking of No. 6 and spent years among the sport’s elite. He reached two Grand Slam semi-finals, at the French Open in 2008 and the US Open in 2016, and became a fixture at the biggest tournaments.
Grand Slam glory ultimately eluded him. So did the consistency that might have transformed his extraordinary athletic ability into an even greater trophy haul. But Monfils leaves behind something that cannot be measured by titles alone: memories.
– Ends
