Gaël Monfils facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gaël Monfils

Monfils at the 2023 Washington Open
Full name	Gaël Sébastien Monfils
Country (sports)	France
Residence	Geneva, Switzerland
Born	(1986-09-01) 1 September 1986 (age 38) Paris, France
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Turned pro	2004
Plays	Right handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Mikael Tillström (2016–2018, 2023–) Thierry Champion (2004–2006), Tarik Benhabiles (2007–2008), Roger Rasheed (2008–2011), Patrick Chamagne (2011–2013), Jan de Witt (2015), Liam Smith (2019–2020), Richard Ruckelshausen (2021–2023), Günter Bresnik (2021–2023)
Prize money	US $23,295,060  23rd all-time in earnings
Singles
Career record	574–337 (63.0%)
Career titles	13
Highest ranking	No. 6 (7 November 2016)
Current ranking	No. 41 (13 January 2025)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	QF (2016, 2022)
French Open	SF (2008)
Wimbledon	4R (2018)
US Open	SF (2016)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	RR (2016)
Olympic Games	QF (2008, 2016)
Doubles
Career record	29–85 (25.4%)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 155 (8 August 2011)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	1R (2006)
French Open	2R (2007)
US Open	1R (2005)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	2R (2020, 2024)
Mixed doubles
Career record	2–4 (33.33%)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2006)
French Open	2R (2008)
Spouse(s)	Elina Svitolina ​ (m. 2021)​

Gaël Sébastien Monfils is a professional tennis player from France. He was born on September 1, 1986. He is known for his amazing athleticism and exciting style of play. Gaël has been ranked as high as world No. 6 in singles.

He has reached the semifinals at two major tournaments: the French Open in 2008 and the US Open in 2016. He also played in three big ATP Masters 1000 finals. So far, Monfils has won 13 singles titles on the ATP Tour.

In 2005, Gaël was named the ATP Newcomer of the Year. He has reached at least one ATP Tour singles final every year for 19 years in a row, from 2005 to 2023. This is a rare achievement in tennis! He is also one of the top active players with over 550 career match wins. In 2025, he became the oldest ATP Tour champion since 1990.

Early Life & Family

Gaël Sébastien Monfils was born and grew up in Paris, France. His father, Rufin Monfils, is from Guadeloupe. He used to be a professional football player. Gaël's mother, Sylvette Cartesse, is from Martinique and worked as a nurse.

Junior Tennis Career

Gaël Monfils started playing junior tennis matches in 2002 when he was 15. He quickly became very good. By February 2004, he was ranked the No. 1 junior player in the world.

In 2004, he had an amazing year. He won three junior Grand Slam titles: the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon. He was even named the International Tennis Federation youth world champion.

Junior Highlights

• 2002: Gaël was a runner-up at the Dutch Junior Open. He won the German Junior Open. He finished the year as the No. 4 junior in the world.
• 2003: He started earning his first ATP points. He reached the finals at the Orange Bowl, a big junior tournament. He also won a doubles title.
• 2004: This was his best junior year. He won three junior Grand Slams without dropping many sets. He also won another junior tournament in Roehampton. He started playing in professional ATP events this year.

Starting His Professional Career

Gaël Monfils officially became a professional tennis player in 2004 when he was 17. He quickly showed his talent.

2004: First ATP Matches

Gaël played his first ATP tournament in Metz. He won his first match against a higher-ranked player. He even reached the quarterfinals! A few weeks later, he played in the Paris Masters. He beat a former top 10 player before losing to world No. 3 Lleyton Hewitt. He ended 2004 ranked 239th, a huge jump from 925th at the start of the year.

2005: First ATP Title

In 2005, Gaël moved up over 200 spots in the rankings. He won his first ATP title in Sopot, Poland. He also reached two other finals in France. He beat a top 10 player for the first time this year.

2006: Breaking into the Top 25

Gaël started 2006 by reaching the final in Doha, where he lost to world No. 1 Roger Federer. He also made it to the semifinals of the Rome Masters. On his way, he beat former world No. 1 Andy Roddick.

At the 2006 French Open, he had an amazing run. He won three tough five-set matches in a row! He reached the fourth round before losing to Novak Djokovic. After this, he became the No. 1 French player, ranked 23rd in the world.

2007: Reaching 50 Wins

In 2007, Gaël continued to play well. He reached a final in Poertschach. He also made it to the third round of the 2007 Australian Open and the 2007 French Open. He reached the semifinals of the 2007 Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C. He had to stop playing later in the year due to a hamstring injury.

2008: French Open Semifinals

Monfils at the 2008 US Open

At the 2008 French Open, Gaël reached the semifinals for the first time in a major tournament. He was the first Frenchman to do so since 2001. He played against Roger Federer but lost in four sets. He also played in the Olympics in Beijing, reaching the quarterfinals.

2009: Top 10 Player & First Masters Final

Monfils at the 2009 US Open

Gaël started 2009 by beating Rafael Nadal in Qatar. He reached the quarterfinals of the French Open again, losing to Roger Federer. He won his second ATP title at the Open de Moselle. Later that year, he reached his first Masters final at the Paris Masters, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.

2010: Third ATP Title

Monfils at the 2010 US Open

In 2010, Gaël reached the semifinals in Brisbane. He made it to the quarterfinals of the US Open, his best result there so far. He was the first Frenchman to reach the US Open quarterfinals since 2000. He won his third ATP title at the Open Sud de France. For the second year in a row, he reached the final of the Paris Masters, beating top players like Andy Murray and Roger Federer along the way.

2011: 200 Career Wins

Monfils at the 2011 French Open

Gaël started 2011 by reaching the final of the AAMI Kooyong Classic. He made it to the quarterfinals of the 2011 French Open, losing to Roger Federer. He also reached the finals of the 2011 Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C. In July, he reached his highest ranking yet, world No. 7. He won his fourth ATP title at the Stockholm Open.

2012: Injuries and Comebacks

The year 2012 was tough for Gaël due to injuries. He reached the final of the Qatar Open and the Montpellier tournament. However, a knee injury kept him out of play for several months. He ended his season early because of knee pain.

2013: Back in the Top 40

Monfils at the 2013 French Open

Gaël worked hard to come back in 2013. He reached the semifinals in Auckland. At the 2013 French Open, he surprised everyone by beating the fifth-seeded player, Tomáš Berdych, in the first round. He also reached the final in Winston-Salem. In October, he had a big win at the Shanghai Masters, beating Roger Federer.

2014: 300 Career Wins

Gaël reached another final in Doha, losing to Rafael Nadal. He won the tournament in Montpellier, beating Richard Gasquet. He made it to the quarterfinals of the 2014 French Open and the US Open. At the US Open, he had match points against Roger Federer but couldn't win. In the Davis Cup final, he beat Roger Federer in a singles match.

2015: Return to Top 15

Monfils at the 2015 French Open

In 2015, Gaël reached the final of the Open 13 in Marseille. At the Monte Carlo Masters, he beat Roger Federer and Grigor Dimitrov to reach the semifinals. At the 2015 French Open, he had an exciting five-set win in the third round. He later had to retire from the 2015 US Open due to injuries. He described 2015 as a "year of regrets."

2016: US Open Semifinals & World No. 6

Gaël had a fantastic year in 2016. He reached the quarterfinals of the 2016 Australian Open for the first time. He also made it to the final of the Rotterdam Open. He reached his third career Masters final in Monte Carlo, losing to Rafael Nadal.

Monfils with the 2016 Washington Open trophy

In July, he won his first ATP World Tour 500 Series title at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. This was his first title in over two years. He then reached the semifinals of the Canadian Masters. At the 2016 Olympics, he reached the quarterfinals.

At the 2016 US Open, Gaël reached the semifinals without losing a single set. He eventually lost to Novak Djokovic. Later in the year, he qualified for the 2016 ATP World Tour Finals for the first time, which is a big achievement for top players.

2017: 400 Career Wins

Monfils at the 2017 Eastbourne International

In 2017, Gaël reached the quarterfinals in Marseille and Dubai. He also made it to the final of the Eastbourne International. At the Canadian Masters, he saved four match points to beat Kei Nishikori. This win was special because it was the first time in seven years he had beaten a top 10 player after losing the first set. He struggled with injuries again and ended the year ranked 46th.

2018: Wimbledon Fourth Round

Monfils at the 2018 Wimbledon Championships

Gaël won his seventh ATP title at the Qatar Open. He had been in the final there three times before but never won. He reached the semifinals of the 2018 Argentina Open. At the 2018 Rio Open, he had an amazing comeback win and then beat world No. 3 Marin Čilić. Later in the year, he reached the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time in his career.

2019: Eighth ATP Title & Top 10 Return

Gaël won his eighth ATP title at the Rotterdam Open. He reached the fourth round of the 2019 French Open. One of his best moments was reaching the quarterfinals of the 2019 US Open. He finished the year back in the top 10, at world No. 10.

2020: Two Titles in One Season

At the 2020 Australian Open, Gaël reached the fourth round. He won his ninth ATP title at the Open Sud de France. He then won his second title of the year at the Rotterdam Open. This was the first time in his career that he won two ATP titles in a single season!

2021: 500 Career Wins

Monfils at the 2021 French Open

Gaël reached his first quarterfinal of 2021 at the Canadian Masters. In Cincinnati, he beat Alex De Minaur to get his 500th career win on the ATP tour. This made him the 11th active player to reach this milestone. He later reached the semifinals of the 2021 Moselle Open and the final of the 2021 Sofia Open.

2022: Major Quarterfinal & More Injuries

Gaël won his eleventh title at the Adelaide International without losing a set. At the 2022 Australian Open, he reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 2016. He won all his matches in straight sets before losing a tough five-set match to Matteo Berrettini. After this, he had heel surgery and missed several months of play due to injuries.

2023: French Record & Oldest Champion

Gaël returned to play in 2023. At the 2023 French Open, he won a thrilling first-round match after being far behind in the final set. He reached the quarterfinals at the Canadian Open. At the 2023 Stockholm Open, he set a new French record with his 356th hardcourt win. He then won the Stockholm Open title, becoming the oldest champion in the tournament's history. This win also made him one of the oldest players to win an ATP title since 1990.

2024: Most Major Wins for a French Player

In 2024, Gaël reached the semifinals of the Qatar Open. He became the oldest semifinalist there at 37 years old. He continued to play well at the Indian Wells Masters and the 2024 Miami Open. At the Miami Open, he got his 550th career win, becoming only the second Frenchman in the Open Era to reach this many wins. At the 2024 French Open, he recorded his 122nd win at a major tournament, which is the most for any French player. He also beat world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Cincinnati Open, one of his biggest wins in years.

2025: Oldest ATP Tour Champion

At 38 years old, Gaël made history at the 2025 ASB Classic in Auckland. He became the oldest quarterfinalist and semifinalist there since 1970. He then won the tournament, becoming the oldest champion on the ATP Tour since 1990. This also made him the oldest men's singles title winner since 1977! At the 2025 Australian Open, he won his first-round match without facing a single break point, which is a very rare achievement. He also beat a top 10 player to reach the fourth round, showing he can still compete with the best.

Playing Style

Monfils sliding towards the net at the 2013 US Open

Gaël Monfils is known for his incredible athleticism and how well he moves around the court. He often slides to reach balls, even on hard courts, which is why he's sometimes called "Sliderman." He can quickly change from playing defense to offense, surprising his opponents.

He hits powerful shots, especially his forehand, which can be very fast. He also has a strong and accurate serve. Gaël is famous for his exciting and sometimes risky shots, which make his matches fun to watch.

Gaël has had several coaches throughout his career. He is currently sponsored by Artengo, a French brand, for his clothes, shoes, and racquets.

Personal Life

Gaël Monfils has a few nicknames, like "La Monf" and "Sliderman." He has a younger brother named Daryl, who also plays tennis.

When he was younger, Gaël was an amazing athlete. He won French championships in the 100-meter dash for kids under 13 and 14. His love for tennis was the only thing that stopped him from becoming a professional runner. His coach even said he could have reached the Olympic 100m final!

Gaël appeared in the music video for the song "Hello" by Martin Solveig.

Gaël Monfils is married to WTA tennis player Elina Svitolina. They announced their relationship in 2019 and got married in 2021. They have a daughter together.

See also

In Spanish: Gaël Monfils para niños