Gael Monfils has been appointed France’s Davis Cup captain a month after calling time on his playing career.
The flamboyant Frenchman, known for entertaining both on and off court, quietly retired in October – appearing on the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s inactive list without an explanation – amid the breakdown of his marriage with Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina.
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Having initially planned to bid farewell to the sport with one last appearance at the Paris Masters, he was instead honoured with a ceremony in the French capital earlier this week, joined by fellow fan favourites Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, Richard Gasquet and Benoit Paire.
He now transitions into a courtside role after succeeding Paul-Henri Mathieu as captain for France’s upcoming Davis Cup campaign, with qualifying in February.
“It is a great source of pride to become captain of the French national team,” Monfils said. “This blue jersey represents so much to me. I want to build a real collective project and create the dynamic that will allow us to win titles together.”
The French Tennis Federation (FFT) thanked Mathieu for his commitment in the role for the past three years, having guided France to the quarter-finals in 2025.
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The 40-year-old represented France in eight editions of the Davis Cup during his 22-year professional career, winning 12 of his 15 singles matches.
Gael Monfils retired from tennis last month and was given a rousing send-off in Paris (Reuters)
He delivered one of his best performances in the 2014 final, beating Roger Federer in straight sets, although France would ultimately go on to lose the tie to Switzerland.
The former World No 6 was not in the team when France won their 10th Davis Cup title in 2017 but is now keen to add to their trophy cabinet as captain, a non-playing role.
The FFT says Monfils will be assisted by the likes of compatriots Simon and Gasquet in the role.
“We are very happy to welcome Gaël as head coach of the French team,” FFT president Gilles Moretton added.
“We are convinced that his infectious energy and enthusiasm will be valuable assets in advancing the ambitions of French tennis.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
