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Monfils gives emotional farewell in Paris with wish for daughter Skai

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In short

The ceremony honored a career highlighted by 13 ATP Tour singles titles stretching from Poland in 2005 to an Auckland victory in January 2025. Peers including Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, Richard Gasquet, and Benoit Paire stepped onto the court to celebrate his legacy. His final competitive Grand Slam appearance concluded with a second-round loss to Learner Tien at the US Open. Monfils used the stage to express his heartfelt ambition that his daughter might one day compete in Paris as a champion.

Key points

  • A prominent generation of French tennis gathered together to honor a standout 22-year car…: A prominent generation of French tennis gathered together to honor a standout 22-year career on home soil.
  • Monfils publicly shared his aspiration that his daughter Skai would eventually follow in…: Monfils publicly shared his aspiration that his daughter Skai would eventually follow in his footsteps and compete in Paris.
  • The ceremony provided a formal public conclusion to a long career that officially ended q…: The ceremony provided a formal public conclusion to a long career that officially ended quietly last month.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

PARIS, Nov 4 : Gael Monfils turned his tennis farewell into a message for his young daughter Skai on Tuesday, telling her he hoped she would one day play in Paris as he thanked fans in the French capital for making his 22-year career a dream come true.

The flamboyant Frenchman, who had planned to end his career this year with a final bow at this week's Paris Masters, instead retired quietly last month amid the end of his marriage with fellow player Elina Svitolina.

Paris gave Monfils a send-off to remember, with fellow French favourites Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, Richard Gasquet and Benoit Paire joining him on court for a special ceremony.

"I'm not going to hide that, this is a very difficult moment to say goodbye," Monfils, 40, said in his farewell speech.

"The most beautiful thing that this world has given me is you, the wonderful crowd. It's not easy at all, but I'd really like to thank you all.

"Twenty-two years now that I've been a professional tennis player. Twenty-two years of an extraordinary story that…

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