Pioline, the tournament director of the Rolex Paris Masters, has publicly addressed the Monfils question for the first time, and he was careful not to close any door.
“For now, we don’t have any more news than that and we respect this difficult time in his life,” Pioline told reporters on Tuesday.
The former world No. 6 was expected to end a 22-year career in front of his home crowd at La Défense Arena from 2 November. Instead, his name appeared on the ITIA’s list of retired players on 5 October, as reported by the Associated Press, a status that under tour rules makes him ineligible to enter another ATP event. Monfils has not publicly confirmed the decision himself.
A fortnight of silence, then Svitolina
On 19 October, Svitolina broke the silence in the family. In an Instagram post, the Ukrainian said she had decided to end the marriage, pointing to the mental toll of Russia’s war against her country and the time she needed to find her way back to herself.
Read also: Arsenal and Manchester United set for January transfer battle over £54m Premier League star
“This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to share,” she wrote.
“Our marriage is ending, but our family is not.”
A day later, in an interview relayed by Yahoo Sports, Svitolina drew a direct line between the separation and her husband’s sudden exit from the tour.
“Gael’s career ended abruptly after he made the decision to stop based on our situation,” she said.
The couple, who have a four-year-old daughter, Skaï, have said they will continue to co-parent.
Pioline’s open door
That is the context in which Pioline is now navigating one of the most delicate storylines on his calendar. Monfils reached the Paris final in 2009 and 2010, losing to Novak Djokovic and then to Robin Söderling. The tournament has moved out of the old Bercy arena to La Défense since those nights, but Pioline is treating the possibility of a farewell as something that can be arranged very late if Monfils picks up the phone.
“We still have a little bit of time, even though the tournament will start soon,” Pioline told We Love Tennis.
“We have accepted that he has retired. We will adapt as soon as there is contact.”
Read also: Charles Leclerc makes worrying Ferrari admission ahead of biggest upgrade of 2026
Lyon withdrew the wild card first
Before Paris, there was supposed to be Lyon. The ATP 250 event the week before the Masters 1000 had granted Monfils a wild card for what was framed as the first stop of a late farewell tour. In mid-October, the Lyon organizers announced that he would not use it.
“For personal reasons, Gael Monfils will not be able to take up the wild card granted by the organisers and will not play the tournament,” the statement read. “We fully respect his decision and send him our full support.”
Monfils’ last professional match remains his second-round defeat to American Learner Tien at the US Open in early September. The Paris Masters main draw begins on Monday 2 November and runs through 8 November at La Défense Arena in Nanterre.
Read also: Steve Kerr delivers Stephen Curry injury verdict after Warriors star limps off court
