Tennis icon who is retiring this year hopes for Wimbledon wildcard

A beloved tennis star who has been eliminated from his final French Open is harbouring hopes of a last Wimbledon appearance next month.

Gael Monfils, 39, was beaten by Hugo Gaston in a first-round battle of French wildcards at Roland Garros.

The five-set thriller saw Monfils come back from two sets down to take the match to a decider. Gaston won the last set 6-0 to set up a second round meeting with Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo.

Monfils isn't done at the Grand Slam level just yet, if he has his way.

The Swiss-born right-hander, whose best Grand Slam performances were semi-final appearances at Roland Garros in 2008 and in the US Open in 2016, is itching for one last crack at Wimbledon this summer.

"My agent, he wants me to play many tournaments," Monfils told reporters in Paris.

"Obviously if I am a good student, I think he will ask for a wildcard at Wimbledon, so we will wait and see.

"I know there are a lot of candidates and I feel like a lot of guys maybe deserve it more than me. But hopefully Wimbledon.

"Then we will need to decide if we go to Washington DC [for the Mubadala Citi DC Open] or not. I think we have been offered a wildcard, so we will see if we will accept it or not."

The veteran, who has also reached an Australian Open quarter-final, enjoyed his best run at SW19 back in 2018.

Monfils beat compatriot Richard Gasquet in three sets and Paolo Lorenzi in four before a third-round victory over American Sam Querrey.

He was eliminated in the fourth round by Kevin Anderson. All four sets went to a tie break.

'One of the most beloved and charismatic stars on the ATP Tour'

Monfils announced last October that 2026 would be his last year on as 'one of the most beloved and charismatic stars on the ATP tour'.

“I had a racket in my hands for the first time at two and a half, and began playing professionally at 18," he said.

"Now, after celebrating my 39th birthday just a month ago, I’d like to share that the year ahead will be my last as a professional tennis player.

“The opportunity to turn my passion into a profession is a privilege I have cherished during every match and moment of my 21-year career. Though this game means the world to me, I am tremendously at peace with my decision to retire at the end of the 2026 tennis season.

“When you love something so much, it never feels like a good time to say goodbye.

"But 40 will be the right time for me. Of course, winning one more title before I’m done would be truly incredible. Truthfully though, my only real goal for the year ahead is simple.

"To enjoy every minute, and to play each match like it’s my last.”