On Monday evening, Gael Monfils took to court Philippe Chatrier for what is to be his final appearances at the French Open in front of crowds that truly adore him. His faced fellow Frenchman Hugo Gaston, a player who will receive the stamp of approval from the outgoing showman, Monfils, for certain elements of his playing style.
Gael Monfils: The Great Showman
A packed stadium, which included wife Elina Svitolina, cheered and greeted everything the man they’ve come to adore did right, as if hoping to will into existence a long fortnight in the French capital for the mercurial Monfils. It seemed to matter very little that he was also playing against a Frenchman in Gaston, with the crowd almost exclusively in his corner. The match itself, early on, felt more like an exhibition, with some of the shotmaking and the heavily charged but friendly crowd creating a relaxed atmosphere.
Back-to-back tweeners 🤩🍿
Monfils & Gaston entertaining in the night session!@rolandgarros #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/y6S1NEg449
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 25, 2026
However, on court, a different situation was playing out entirely–and not one the crowd had come anticipating–with Gaston racing to a two-set lead and looking practically untroubled. It was not until the third set that Monfils finally started to look like he wasn’t simply there on a farewell passage rite. He broke twice to Gaston’s once, and that proved significant as he won the third set to take us into a fourth, with the home crowd going berserk with excitement as Monfils closed the set.
At that point, the story had started to write itself.
Out: Showman. In: Escape Artist?
Could it be happening again? Could the great showman be about to put on another show of defiance? After all, this was the same man who holds the record for five-set wins in the French Open in the Open Era with a staggering twelve wins. The answers didn’t take long to begin shaping up as Monfils, now looking completely locked in, raced to a 4-0 lead in the fourth. And before long, what looked like an improbable fifth set at some point was upon us with both the weight of history and momentum pointing towards one winner.
The fifth set got underway with Gaston looking like he’d regained some of the composure and control he lost in the fourth set. And it was, in fact, Gaston who made the first move in the decider, breaking twice to race to a 5-0 lead. At which point it looked ominous. And then, the once mercurial escape artist, who so often owned and defined the beauty of best-of-five sets in the French capital, time and again doing the unthinkable, in front of a crowd that would have wanted nothing more than for his show to go on, stepped onto the line. And this time, this time, despite his best efforts, it proved too much as he surrendered yet another service game to hand over the game, set, and ultimately the match to bring time to his storied career in the French Open.
He also crucially missed an opportunity to become the standalone Frenchman with the most match wins in Roland Garros. He finishes his career with forty wins, tied with Yannick Noah. In the end, however, despite the final tame surrender, the man who had for so long entertained his countrymen went out in the fashion you’d expect him to. Being the showman whilst still showing the resilience that has defined his time in this tournament. And of course, the consolation to the French crowd was that in bowing out for the last time, he also did so to another one of their own. All is well that ends well.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
