It sparked confusion, as it was understood that Monfils had one tournament left, with the Paris Masters taking place from November 2 to November 8. But ITIA has now told Express Sport that they have been notified that Monfils has retired.

This removes him from the anti-doping protocols that are required of professional tennis players, meaning he is no longer eligible to enter tournaments. The Frenchman will therefore not be able to compete at the upcoming Paris Masters.

If Monfils wants to compete again, he would have to re-enter the anti-doping testing pool for six months, similar to what Serena Williams did late last year before making a sensational return to competition over the summer.

The 40-year-old has not addressed his quiet retirement or given a reason for his decision to walk away now instead of playing his planned farewell event. His last match was a second-round defeat to Learner Tien at the US Open in early September, and Monfils was honoured with a ceremony on the court.

Monfils will likely still be seen on the tennis circuit as his wife, Elina Svitolina, is the world No. 6 on the WTA Tour. The Ukranian won her biggest title in tears at the Italian Open in May, and looks set to return to the season-ending WTA Finals for the first time in seven years.

But the French star is otherwise planning to take up an entirely new job in finance. Two years ago, Monfils exclusively told Express Sport that he wanted to work in a bank when he retired, and revealed that he had completed exams and an internship.

“I want to work in a financial way. I want to work in a bank,” he said in late 2024. “I’ve done some internship when I was out of the court, I’ve always been a bit curious about that side and then I’ve been reading a lot and I tried it out a little bit and then I had an opportunity to work a little bit in a private bank.

“I saw very curious people, very interesting people who gave me this passion and I think I really want to try it after my career.”

Farewell to a showman

This isn’t the first time a player has quietly notified the ITIA of their retirement. Fans only learned that Italian WTA star Camila Giorgi had suddenly retired in mid-2024 when she appeared on the body’s list of retired players.

We’ve not heard from the Monfils camp or the Paris Masters yet to find out why he has decided to make a swift exit rather than play one last tournament. But the fact that he has been listed as retired means there is no possible way he can compete next month.

Monfils won his opening match at the US Open on what was his 40th birthday, and was all smiles as he lost to young star Learner Tien in round two. Maybe that was a goodbye he was satisfied with.

Throughout his career, Monfils was known as a showman, delighting fans with his hot shots and entertaining demeanour. But the former world No. 6 was also one of the most consistent players on the tour, battling with the Big Four and reaching at least one tour-level final every year from 2005 to 2023.

He made an impact on his rivals as well as his friends, and when he shared his retirement plans last year, Novak Djokovic said: “You are an amazing human being that brings joy to people on and off the court. That counts more than anything else. Tennis wise, your athleticism is off the charts. One of the best I have ever seen in all sports.”