Gael Monfils finished his 2025 campaign low on form, struggling during the final few months of the season.
In January, Monfils won the 13th title of his career, defeating Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in Auckland.
He followed that up with a win over Taylor Fritz at the Australian Open, but was unable to maintain that level as the year progressed.
Failing to win a match after Wimbledon, Monfils announced that 2026 will be his final year on tour, as he prepares for his impending retirement.
Monfils would love to end his career on a high note, but encountered a real problem during pre-season training.
During a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Monfils shared a health update with his fans.
Gael Monfils recalls ‘dark day’ in pre-season training where he had a ‘lot of tests’
The 39-year-old’s usual smiley demeanour faded for a moment, as he revealed a ‘little problem’ he’d encountered.
“Today I couldn’t film because, well, I had a little problem. A little problem, nothing too crazy. It’s just a very small problem, nothing alarming normally,” said Monfils.
“I hope it will be alright, they told me it could be something benign, so I hope it will be alright.
“I wanted to be transparent. It was a dark day, let’s say.
“I hope everything goes well and that I get reassurances very soon about things. In any case, I was told that it was normal, that it should be fine, but you know how it is sometimes, you have to do these checkups to make sure we’re ok.
“Tomorrow I’m going to have my blood drawn and wait for the results.”
After receiving the results, Monfils filmed another clip and was delighted to share a positive update.
“I’m super happy to be able to show you that I’m training again,” he said.
“This week has been really tough. I had a lot of tests done, and in the end, it’s something benign.
Which tennis player am I thinking of?
“So I’m super happy, super pleased. I had to have a load of tests, and I was told that everything is fine.
“Obviously, we’ll have to keep an eye on things, because we have to be vigilant, but anyway, I’m happy.”
It’s unclear exactly what the problem was, but it’s certainly good news to hear that Monfils is healthy and raring to go for his ‘last dance’ in 2026.
How did Gael Monfils perform in 2025?
Monfils started the year strongly, winning matches at several different tournaments.
Gael Monfils’ form until Wimbledon
| Tournament | Tier | Result | Match wins |
| Brisbane International | ATP 250 | Lost in R16 to Novak Djokovic | 1 |
| ASB Classic | ATP 250 | Champion | 5 |
| Australian Open | Grand Slam | Lost in R16 to Ben Shelton | 3 |
| Dubai Tennis Championships | ATP 500 | Lost in R32 to Matteo Berrettini | 0 |
| Indian Wells | Masters 1000 | Lost in R32 to Grigor Dimitrov | 2 |
| Miami Open | Masters 1000 | Lost in R16 to Sebastian Korda | 3 |
| Monte-Carlo Masters | Masters 1000 | Lost in R32 to Andrey Rublev | 1 |
| Madrid Open | Masters 1000 | Walkover before R64 | 1 |
| Hamburg Open | ATP 500 | Lost in R32 to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina | 0 |
| French Open | Grand Slam | Lost in R64 to Jack Draper | 1 |
| Stuttgart Open | ATP 250 | Lost in R32 to Alex Michelsen | 0 |
| Queen’s Club Championships | ATP 500 | Lost in R32 to Mackenzie McDonald | 0 |
| Wimbledon | Grand Slam | Lost in R64 to Marton Fuscovics | 1 |
Unfortunately for Monfils, that form tailed off quickly, and he didn’t win another match after the grass-court season finished.
Gael Monfils’ record post-Wimbledon
- Washington Open 1R [LOSS] vs Yibing Wu
- Canadian Open 1R [LOSS] vs Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera
- US Open 1R [LOSS] vs Roman Safiullin
- Chengdu Open 1R [LOSS] vs Alexander Shevchenko
Adding his defeat in the second round of Wimbledon to that list, Monfils will begin 2026 riding a five-match losing streak.
He’ll do so as the world number 68, having fallen down the rankings due to his poor form.
However, the rankings won’t matter much for Monfils, as he is likely to receive Wild Cards to several events, even if he fails to qualify.
Who will be the biggest disappointment at the 2026 Australian Open?
A fan favorite for over 20 years, tournament organizers will do their best to attract Monfils to appear one last time…
Only time will tell how Monfils will perform during his final year on the ATP Tour, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
Monfils is scheduled to return at the ASB Classic, where he is the defending champion.
The tournament will begin on Monday, January 5, 2026.
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