Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils have already lost in Monte-Carlo, but the farewell tours of the crowd favourites will continue.
The 41-year-old Wawrinka and the almost 40-year-old Monfils announced in advance that the 2026 season would be their last. That is why every appearance on court now becomes a separate emotional chapter for both of them. Stan’s ranking, No. 104 in the world, and Gael’s, No. 199, no longer allow them to enter the main draws of big tournaments directly. But wild cards from organisers give the players and fans a proper chance to say goodbye to each other.
Stan’s 16th visit to Monte-Carlo turned out to be historic. Wawrinka is now the oldest player ever to appear in the main draw of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament. But Sebastian Baez stopped Stan from also becoming the oldest match winner at a Masters, and denied all of us a head-to-head meeting between Wawrinka and Carlos Alcaraz. Despite the first-round setback — before this, he had been 4–0 in opening matches this season — it must be said that these courts have always been special for the Swiss. It was here, 12 years ago, that he beat his great compatriot Roger Federer in the final and won his only title at this level.
Monfils, meanwhile, was making his 13th career appearance in Monte-Carlo. His debut here came 21 (!) years ago. And in 2016, the Frenchman even reached the final, where he lost to the emperor of clay, Rafael Nadal, who has 11 Monte-Carlo titles. First&Red ambassador Alexander Bublik prevented Gael from reaching the third round of the Monte-Carlo Masters for the first time in 10 years.
To understand the scale of Wawrinka’s career, one important fact is enough: across almost 20 years of Big Three dominance — Djokovic, Nadal and Federer — only two players managed to win more than one Grand Slam title. Those players are Stan and Andy Murray, with three titles each. And if the Swiss press had been as brazen as the British press, the “Big Four” — Nole, Rafa, Roger and Andy — that the media spent all those years selling us would have been expanded into a Big Five. And no one would have objected.
Yes, unlike the Scot, the Swiss never became world No. 1; Stan never climbed higher than third. And Wawrinka won Olympic gold only in doubles with Federer, while Murray has two singles gold medals. In terms of the number of trophies, and their weight, the Briton is ahead too: 46 titles against 16. But Stan’s importance to world tennis cannot be diminished through his head-to-head record with Murray. The Swiss player’s one-handed backhand is one of the most beautiful shots in the history of the sport. And his psychological resilience in the hardest moments of brutal battles with the greatest players is something most players on tour simply do not have. Wawrinka’s imminent retirement does not mean we will no longer see him at tournaments. Let’s be honest: Stan The Man as a coach or tournament director would hardly surprise anyone.
Monfils’ career did not reach the same level of status in terms of tennis achievements as Wawrinka’s. Still, he was once world No. 6 and won 13 titles — only three fewer than the Swiss. But in the decisive moments of major tournaments, he always seemed to lack just that little something; his finals record stands at 13 wins and 22 losses. Gael has two Grand Slam semi-finals to his name — Roland Garros 2008 and US Open 2016 — and 586 match wins, only two fewer than Stan. Yet he will be remembered for far more than those numbers.
Monfils is one of those players for whom the act of playing tennis itself seems to bring more joy than the thought of the final result. Playing to the crowd even at the most crucial moment of a match — that is pure Gael. And at times, those shots cost him very important victories. He will go down in history for his athleticism, his unconventional thinking on court and his ability to switch instantly from defence to attack. A huge serve, rhythm changes and the way he somehow manages to slide even on hard courts are all essential parts of the Frenchman’s style. So are his slam-dunk smashes at the net. I have no doubt that many sports channels would love to sign Monfils. As a commentator, he may turn out to be no less vivid than the tennis player he has been all these years.
