Fans will miss Gael Monfils when he decides to move on. His fellow players? Even more so

On the grounds of the All England Club in 2004, a mesmerizing presence commanded attention with his athletic gifts and a welcoming smile. He was 17 with a bright future ahead, for he had already won the Roland Garros boys’ trophy, and was a win away from repeating his success at Wimbledon.

A junior at the time herself, Victoria Azarenka was taken aback by this flashy Frenchman.

“I was like, ‘This guy is crazy. Are you kidding me?’” she recalls during a chat at Tennis Channel’s Indian Wells shoot this year.

Who could have possibly brought out that initial impression? On that day, Gael Monfils was practicing his variety. We’re not talking shot selections here; rather, ways to commemorate a victory.

Would he flip? Would he bust a move? Would he full-on breakdance?

“When he won, we were all in the locker room watching and wondering, ‘Which one is he going to pick?’ And he did nothing,” Azarenka laughs. “I will always remind him of that. For hour and a half, I watched you practice your most ridiculous stuff, and then you did this.”

For two decades, La Monf has captivated audiences with an infectious personality to complement his eye-catching brand of tennis. He has celebrated more than 550 match wins, been ranked as high as No. 6 in the world and reached two Grand Slam semifinals—all while being the sport’s undisputed showman.

WATCH BELOW: Our conversation with Gael Monfils, and his fellow players ⤵️

The excitement he creates inside stadiums is unparalleled, inspiring the generations coming up to, somehow, be bolder.

“When you're young, you just want to play tennis because you watch La Monf,” Arthur Fils says of his countryman. “He is moving everywhere on the court, sliding, gets the fans involved. It is very nice to watch him play. And I mean, he's almost 38 and still playing unbelievable tennis.”

“He's unapologetically himself and you got to respect a guy like that,” says Frances Tiafoe. “He has fun. He always wants to win and competes hard, but he loves getting the crowd involved. He's done it great for 20 years. I really looked up to that guy growing up, and I hope he keeps going.”

States Ugo Humbert, “I love this guy since I'm really young. He was one of my idols. When you see him play, for sure something will happen and I think it's the thing I like on him.

“I played him twice, two weeks in a row. At the end of the second match, he took the time (with) me to speak a little bit. A really nice person.”

The way Monfils carries himself is respected across the board. For wife and fellow player Elina Svitolina, his consideration for others is one of the traits she values most.

“I think he's such a kind person. Everyone knows that, but they probably don't know as much as much as I do. Or how much he really cares about what he brings to the tennis court and how he's going to leave his mark.

“It's really important to be on the same level with everyone. Doesn't matter if you are a famous tennis player or you're just a husband. I think it's something that stands out for me.”

“I feel like interaction with people, it's about life, and I love to exchange with anyone about any subject. I'm just easygoing. I think I love to learn.” Gael Monfils

Azarenka can attest to that approach. Several years back, Monfils dropped by to visit the two-time Australian Open champion at her house. Joined by friends, the two stepped out on a public court for a light-hearted hit. Goofing around and being “a bit” loud, the group’s liveliness was off-putting to a recreational player working on his strokes against a ball machine.

As Azarenka recalls, “This older man on the opposite court started getting mad at us. I was like, ‘Why? I mean, we're not doing anything.’”

Rather than escalate the situation, Monfils defused it. Walking over, he began picking up balls and soon subbed in for the automatic feeder.

“The whole dynamic of this gentleman changed. And he was like, ‘Oh, my God, what are you guys doing?’ You start talking, and that reversal of that situation that could have been a conflict, became a beautiful moment I'm sure that this guy will remember.

“I think that really truly speaks to his character and how people can relate to him.”

While 35^th-ranked Jack Draper appreciates the charismatic competitor that Monfils lets out as much as the next person, he too, points to 37-year-old’s compassion as a telling quality. Draper can’t help but smile when the two cross paths, always finding himself charmed by the Parisian’s contagious energy.

“As a young player coming onto the tour, sometimes the older players, they don't maybe speak to you. Whereas he's someone I admired from young, and when I played him a couple of times, he's just always been incredibly nice to me, supportive of my tennis, telling me that he thinks I'm a great player,” the Brit shares.

“Whenever he sees me, he's always sort of comes over and says hi. Not loads of players do that. And so it is really nice for him to welcome me onto the tour. He's just the type of person that you want to be around all the time.”

Naomi Osaka prefers to admire Monfils from a distance. The four-time Grand Slam champion’s bashful side comes out when she interacts with her now tour colleague, a consequence that Osaka traces back to her youthful fandom at the Miami Open.

“When I was younger, it was him and [Jo-Wilfried] Tsonga that I really looked up to. I would specifically go watch their matches,” the former world No. 1 says. “I'm still a little shy, but he's always been super kind to me, always super friendly to everyone around site. I think it speaks a lot about him as a person and as a player. I think the fans love him a lot too.”

That they do. On Court Philippe Chatrier last year, Monfils trailed Sebastian Baez by a double break in the deciding set of their first-round contest—and faced 30-40 to go down 0-5. With the clock well past 11, many ticket holders stayed to urge their home favorite on. As Monfils slowly chipped away at the deficit, the dynamic inside the stadium intensified. Feeding off the crowd’s dedicated chants, and fighting through cramps, Monfils willed himself to a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 victory at 12:18 a.m.

Returning the love to his supporters and nation to produce a magical miracle ultimately came with a cost that night. Wrist pain forced Monfils to pull out ahead of a popcorn matchup with Holger Rune. Yet that tournament was a significant step for Monfils in his comeback from a foot injury that sidelined him from August 2022 to March 2023.

When Monfils stepped out under the lights 12 months ago at his home major, he was ranked No. 394. As he gears up for his 17th appearance in the main event, Monfils has shaved more than 350 spots off that ranking and added a 12th ATP title to his collection. From Svitolina’s vantage point, her other half doesn’t get enough credit for the effort he puts in—overshadowed by being a human highlight reel.

“A lot of people think that he is not really working, that he's just enjoying himself, not training enough,” she begins. “But he's actually really a hard worker. A lot of hours on the court when there are no cameras. All the time, he is trying to take care of his body. He spends a lot of time on finding a way to be injury-free, and this also takes a lot of patience.”

In a period where the word ‘retirement’ lingers throughout the sport with several distinguished names in his generation writing their final chapters, Monfils relishes the moments that have helped shape him into the individual he is today. Asked how meaningful it is to share 20-plus years of his journey with some of the sport’s finest champions, Monfils confesses that more time is needed for a deeper reflection.

“It's kind of cool and crazy. It's just incredible to grow up and see all the change and see how we all have become,” Monfils says. “It's tough for me to put words on it because I never really thought about it. A lifetime experience, it has been a pleasant journey so far.”

Passion is a core ingredient of the DNA inside Monfils. The same could be said for Stan Wawrinka, who at 39 has also not stopped pushing himself week after week. The three-time Grand Slam champion goes way back with Monfils, and their bond is strong as ever today, connected by the simple gratitude of still being able to pursue what they cherish.

“We enjoy what we're doing and we try to work out to be at the top level that we can. We try to share good moments, practice, have fun together, but still do the hard work,” says Wawrinka. “Gael is such a close friend, such a good friend.”

Conveys Monfils, “I love the game from day one. I love the fact that I played tennis. I always say it was a blessing. I'm grateful to be where I am and never take it for granted. So that keeps the passion up. And of course, you set up some goals to keep it a little bit lively, but the game is too good.”

From the teen who once flipped on Wimbledon’s practice courts to the man who flipped the switch for a midnight miracle on Chatrier, Monfils has never stopped giving audiences reason to watch. Here’s to the next Gael force wind that takes us on an adventure—and feeling lucky enough to be swept up by it.