Tennis stars gathered to celebrate Ga\u00ebl Monfils during a ceremony before the start of the 2026 French Open. (Jean Catuffe \/ Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMonfils leaves French tennis at something of an uneasy juncture. Thirty French players are competing at Roland Garros this week, including two men, 27-year-old Ugo Humbert and 30-year-old Arthur Rinderknech, who are among the 64 seeded players across the men\u2019s and women\u2019s draws.<\/p>\n
But 21-year-old Arthur Fils, France\u2019s top-ranked man and one of the most exciting young prospects in the sport, withdrew from the French Open Saturday with an injury that he could not yet accurately diagnose. The setback came just three months into Fils\u2019 return from a stress fracture in his back, which occurred at Roland Garros last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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,\u201d Fils said in a news conference Saturday. \u201cI know I can do it, but I wouldn\u2019t be 100 percent. I\u2019m not even at 50 percent of my normal shape right now, so I don\u2019t want to take any risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Frenchman hasn\u2019t won the French Open since 1983, when Yannick Noah did so.<\/p>\n
Monfils, at the tail end of his career, might praise Fils for thinking in the long term. He\u2019s had more than enough time to tutor the young players who grew from being fans of Monfils into cherished comrades.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have so many memories with Ga\u00ebl. Obviously, I watched him play on TV when I was a kid, and I saw all his great matches. It was great,\u201d Humbert said in a news conference. \u201cAll the time we had together on the tour was also fabulous. He\u2019s a great person. We have had very nice discussions that are positive, and this is what I take away from Ga\u00ebl.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, he\u2019s here for the others, and it\u2019s not always easy on the tour.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s never easy leaving the tour, either, but in true Monfils fashion, he\u2019s making goodbye look fun.<\/p>\n
The tournament feted him before the main draw began with a \u201cGael & Friends\u201d showcase<\/a> on Court Philippe-Chatrier for which Jannik Sinner, Djokovic, Osaka, Caroline Garcia, Tsonga, Richard Gasquet and Elina Svitolina, Monfils\u2019 wife, appeared among others. Osaka then co-hosted a dinner alongside Taylor Townsend for Monfils at Paris\u2019 swanky Soho House. It brought together several current Black players, as well as player-turned-broadcaster Chris Eubanks. It was Osaka\u2019s way of honoring her personal GOAT.<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nMonfils smiled when he was told in a news conference of Osaka\u2019s compliment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think when you\u2019re in it, it\u2019s tough to look a little bit around how much influence that you have. When I hear that, I\u2019m very grateful, you know, if I inspired some players,\u201d Monfils said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf 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, 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy bucket list is full,\u201d he said. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n