Gael Monfils has entered retirement, earlier than expected. The French player is listed by the sport’s drug-testing organization among players who have declared themselves retired, with his career officially over from Oct. 5.
The 40-year-old had planned to retire at the end of the season. He had received a wild card for a tournament in Lyon next week and was widely expected to end his career in front of his home fans at the Paris Masters, which begins Oct. 31. The former No. 6-ranked player is currently ranked 254th.
Lyon organizers said Wednesday that Monfils will not play, citing “personal reasons.”
Comeback Appears Unlikely
Monfils has not publicly confirmed his retirement. However, anyone on the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s list must be available for testing for six months before returning to competition, which makes a comeback unlikely.
He said goodbye to Grand Slam tennis with a hard-fought loss to Learner Tien in the second round of the U.S. Open in September. Before that exit, Monfils became the oldest man to win a match at the tournament since Jimmy Connors in 1992, who also did so on his 40th birthday.
A Decorated Career
Monfils won 13 titles during his career. His best Grand Slam results came with two semifinal appearances, at the 2008 French Open and the 2016 U.S. Open.
Monfils has said he is at peace with his decision to retire. He has also signed with a Swiss company to work in wealth management.