Sports

Monfils Set to Return for Geneva Exhibition Honoring Wawrinka’s Retirement

By Jim Flannigan

Gaël Monfils will play one more competitive match in 2026 after his sudden retirement. The 40‑year‑old Frenchman is confirmed to appear at One Last Backhand, a farewell exhibition in Geneva on December 19 that celebrates Stan Wawrinka’s retirement from professional tennis. Monfils will face Wawrinka in a singles match before the pair team up in doubles with Roger Federer and Andy Murray, who have also signed up for the evening at Palexpo.

Monfils’ retirement came without warning. His name was added to the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s retired players list on October 5, ending a career that had been expected to conclude at the Rolex Paris Masters in November. He had been granted a wildcard for the ATP 250 event in Lyon this week, but withdrew for “personal reasons.” The Paris Masters entry list contains no trace of him. Reports from L’Équipe, citing those close to the situation, linked the decision to his separation from Elina Svitolina. The Ukrainian star announced on October 19 that their five‑year marriage was ending, and Svitolina later said, “Gaël’s career ended abruptly after he made the decision to stop based on our situation.” Neither player has provided further detail beyond a joint statement. Monfils’ final professional match was a second‑round defeat to American Learner Tien at the US Open on September 3.

The Geneva exhibition is possible because exhibition events operate outside the ITIA’s rules that require a retired player to re‑enter the anti‑doping testing pool and complete at least six months of out‑of‑competition testing before returning to ATP competition. Monfils does not need to reverse his retirement status to participate. Wawrinka, who will retire at next week’s Swiss Indoors in Basel, organized the lineup. Speaking about the event during Wimbledon in June, the Swiss three‑time Grand Slam champion said he wanted “something special in Switzerland” and had personally invited Federer, Murray and Monfils. “I’m going to play some singles with Gaël, and then some doubles, all four together,” Wawrinka said.

Monfils withdrew from a separate French exhibition on October 24 that had been planned with Jo‑Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon. That event will proceed without him, but Geneva appears to be a different matter.

Monfils’ career spans more than 22 years, during which he won 13 ATP titles, reached Grand Slam semi‑finals at Roland Garros in 2008 and the US Open in 2016, and achieved a career‑high ranking of No. 6. His last title, the 2025 Auckland Classic, made him the oldest ATP Tour champion since the tour’s formation in 1990, surpassing a record previously held by Roger Federer. He also upset Carlos Alcaraz in Cincinnati in 2024. Monfils will have one more opportunity to play in front of a crowd on December 19 in Geneva.