representation is – As Gaël Monfils prepares to retire at the end of 2026, the French Open is turning his legacy into something bigger than results: a lived message of representation. Naomi Osaka called him “The GOAT” and pointed to how seeing Monfils—along with Serena and Venus
When the tournament officials ushered Gaël Monfils onto Court Philippe-Chatrier for a “Gael & Friends” showcase before the main draw began. it didn’t feel like a retirement ceremony in the usual sense. It felt like a gathering of people who had watched him move for years—and then decided to pass something on.
Monfils, a 39-year-old French player who shares Djokovic’s age, will retire at the end of this year. He leaves French tennis at an uneasy juncture: 30 French players are competing at Roland Garros this week. and the men’s draw alone includes two seeded hopefuls. 27-year-old Ugo Humbert and 30-year-old Arthur Rinderknech. Yet France’s brightest young prospect. 21-year-old Arthur Fils. withdrew from the French Open Saturday with an injury he said he could not yet accurately diagnose.
For Naomi Osaka, Monfils’ retirement is tied to something that goes beyond titles. The four-time Grand Slam champion told a news conference that she considers “The GOAT” to be someone who can inspire others—and she pointed directly to Monfils.
Osaka explained her logic by starting with what she calls the limits of a numbers-only view. She said her personal GOAT has 24 fewer Grand Slams than Novak Djokovic. has never made it past the semifinals of the French Open. and serves as a reminder that the number of championships on a resume is only one measure of greatness. From there, she moved to what she believes Monfils represents.
“Seeing representation is so important,” Osaka said. “And on the women’s side, you know, for me growing up, I have had Serena and Venus, so I was so grateful to them.”
She then brought the focus to the men’s game. “On the men’s side, I always looked up to him and [Jo-Wilfried] Tsonga for such a long time. I think it’s just so important. And obviously there is a wave of Black French guys coming up. … I know for sure he’s inspired a lot of players here.”
Monfils’ career, at least on paper, has always been measured against an unforgiving era. He rose to a career-high No. 6 in the world while contending for titles during the reigns of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. He still finished with 13 titles through a 22-year career. But his impact, multiple players said, has gone well past what you can count.
Hugo Gaston looms as the likely final home farewell on Monday night, when Monfils is set to play at his home Grand Slam against Gaston—what could be his last match at Roland Garros. Even before that, his path through pressure has become part of tennis folklore.
There were the moments when Monfils’ athleticism made tennis feel less like a rulebook and more like motion. His shot-making and indefatigability drew in even casual fans, and his reputation was built on the way he could lunge, extend, and recover as if the ball had moved only to meet him.
One of the lasting images, players have suggested, is what he does when the match turns into a test of exhaustion: keeling over after a marathon point, then looking up with a grin—whether he won that point or not.
That mix of drama and joy is part of why players described him as someone hard to root against. Félix Auger-Aliassime said Ben Shelton told him in late rounds that he would only watch Monfils highlights, and he connected that to the broader reach Monfils has had.
“Players like Gaël are an inspiration for players who were not necessarily that interested in tennis and having a different perspective on the game,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I think that Gaël, in that regard, is quite unique.”
Auger-Aliassime also recalled facing Monfils in Indian Wells. “The atmosphere on the court was absolutely unbelievable. It was the first round. People were so happy, so excited to see him one last time. He’s very loved everywhere he goes.”
While Monfils’ tennis still has one home night to go, the French Open is already marking a generational shift. Fils’ withdrawal has landed just three months after his return from a stress fracture in his back. which he suffered at Roland Garros last year. In Saturday’s news conference. Fils said he had to weigh the risk to his body against the chance of staying in the draw.
“I thought about it, and I wondered, would I only play for one round or two rounds?. Am I ready for everything?. I know the answer. The answer is to aim for a deep run,” Fils said. “I know I can do it, but I wouldn’t be 100 percent. I’m not even at 50 percent of my normal shape right now. so I don’t want to take any risk.”.
For many in France, there is a second layer of unease. A Frenchman hasn’t won the French Open since 1983, when Yannick Noah did so. Monfils’ retirement, then, is not just an ending—it is arriving while France is trying to see who can carry the next torch.
In that sense, Monfils’ celebration has been shaped like a handoff.
Before the main draw, the tournament feted him with a “Gael & Friends” showcase on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The guest list mixed current stars and familiar figures: Jannik Sinner, Djokovic, Osaka, Caroline Garcia, Tsonga, Richard Gasquet, and Elina Svitolina—Monfils’ wife—appeared among others.
After that, Osaka co-hosted a dinner alongside Taylor Townsend for Monfils at Paris’ Soho House. It brought together several current Black players, as well as Chris Eubanks, who has moved from the court into broadcasting. Osaka’s decision to anchor her farewell to Monfils through that setting was. in her words. a way to honor her personal GOAT.
Monfils reacted when told Osaka had called him her “GOAT.” He didn’t argue the ranking. Instead, he returned to the feeling of being watched and understood.
“I think when you’re in it, it’s tough to look a little bit around how much influence that you have,” Monfils said. “When I hear that, I’m very grateful, you know, if I inspired some players.”
He said he knows young kids take notice of the way he plays and moves, and he tied that directly to how the tour can look from the outside—especially for the Black community.
“Of course. I know some young kids. they like my style. the way I play. the way I move. for the Black community also to see someone also. you know. on the tour. I think it was important,” Monfils said. “And then I think of course maybe I inspired some Black players to say that. yeah. they can make it. and then they can see from their own eyes.”.
Monfils’ own bucket list, he said, is unusually complete. “My bucket list is full,” he said. “The only thing that I had, I think is 99.9 percent, it was just to lift this trophy, but the rest is, I made everything. Roland Garros gave me anything that I ever dreamed, wished, worked for.”
For the players around him—especially the ones who grew up watching him on television—the story of Monfils at Roland Garros is turning into something that feels personal. not just historical. In a tournament where France is waiting on what comes next after Fils’ sudden absence. the loudest message might be the one that Osaka delivered with a straightforward belief: representation isn’t a sidebar.
It’s how a wave forms—player by player—until a court feels like it belongs to more people than it used to.
Gaël Monfils French Open 2026 Roland Garros Naomi Osaka representation Black French players Arthur Fils injury Ugo Humbert Arthur Rinderknech Hugo Gaston Djokovic Tsonga Serena Williams Venus Williams