Match Reaction
Monfils reflects on Monte-Carlo journey: ‘I will remember every moment’
Frenchman fell to Bublik on Tuesday in his 13th and final appearance in Monaco
April 07, 2026
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Gael Monfils plays his final match at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on Tuesday.
By ATP Staff
Gael Monfils may well have played his final match at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on Tuesday, but the 39-year-old Frenchman leaves Monaco with more than two decades of vivid memories.
Making his debut as a wild card in 2005 against Rafael Nadal, Monfils quickly experienced the highest level and over the years, he produced standout moments, including a memorable victory over Roger Federer en route to the 2015 semi-finals, before reaching the championship match in 2016. After his second-round defeat to Alexander Bublik on Tuesday, Monfils addressed the Monte-Carlo crowd following what was his 13th and final appearance in the Principality.
“I came here for the first time in 2005. It’s a magnificent tournament, if not one of the most beautiful tournaments in the world,” said Monfils, who is competing in his final season on the ATP Tour. “I was kindly invited [as a wild card]. It was an honour and a privilege to play in 2005, and what an opponent I had first… I immediately got to taste the best of the best.
“I think I played some of my best tennis [here]. Some great victories. I managed to beat Roger [in 2015]. They were really special moments and here I am again today trying to give you a good match. The years go by and the legs become heavier, but the love from the crowd is unique. Every time I really stepped on this court, it was beautiful.”
Monfils closes his Monte-Carlo chapter with a 16-13 tournament record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. His most notable runs came in 2015, when he reached the semi-finals, and in 2016, when he advanced to the final — his third and most recent ATP Masters 1000 championship match — before falling to Nadal.
Against Bublik on Tuesday, Monfils acknowledged he was running low on energy. The 39-year-old battled past Tallon Griekspoor in three sets to reach the second round, but could not maintain that level, with Bublik producing a clean performance to draw level in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 2-2.
Despite the defeat, the former No. 6 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Monfils leaves Monte-Carlo with a deep sense of appreciation for the tournament and its atmosphere while he continues his final season on Tour.
“I remember every match I played, honestly, from the first to the last,” Monfils said in post-match press conference after falling to Bublik. “Every moment I was able to step on that beautiful court. The chance of having played the tournament 13 times, I’m going to remember a bit of all that.
“Today, he [Bublik] played a solid match. Not many mistakes. He was quite precise in what he did. I struggled a bit today. I lacked a bit of energy.”
