Gael Monfils has shared his unusual post-tennis career plans (Image: Getty)
This year has been a big one for high-profile tennis retirements. and hung up their rackets.
, Angelique Kerber, and Garbine Muguruza were also among those who announced they were ending their careers.
Aged 38, Gael Monfils is also nearing the finish line. And the former world No. 6 already knows what he will do in retirement, as he shared his unconventional plans with .
Plenty of players stay involved within tennis when they retire from the sport. Murray has already signed up to become ’s new coach, while Muguruza stepped into the role of WTA Finals tournament director.
But Monfils is keen to do a complete 180 when he eventually walks away, and he’s already racked up some experience for his post-playing career. “I want to work in a financial way. I want to work in a bank,” the Frenchman exclusively told Express Sport.
It’s a rogue choice, especially for someone like Monfils, known for being a showman on the court. For years, the world No. 55 has entertained crowds with his trick shots, finding winners all over the court and dazzling with jumping smashes.
The 38-year-old is firm on his decision, however. He has already gained work experience in a bank, which motivated him to explore the industry further when he retires.
Gael Monfils ticked off his goal of qualifying for the Paris Olympics this year (Image: Getty)
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Monfils continued: “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.”
The 12-time title winner got involved in different sectors, even sitting exams to give himself a head start for his retirement. “It was information, to understand how everything works,” he said.
“From the system of the private banking, from also the commercial part, how to talk to clients, from the wealth management so you know about the economy and all the other stuff, and it was quite interesting. I had some homework to do, and then I passed some exams. It was very interesting.”
For now, Monfils isn’t sure when he will leave tennis behind for the world of finance. However, he’s been struggling to come to terms with seeing his contemporaries enter retirement but seems ready to join them soon enough.
“It’s never easy but we know that it’s coming, we’re ageing,” he explained. “But for sure it’s never the same because we’re used to seeing the same faces for the last 20 years and now we have new faces. But soon I’ll be with those guys out so it’s okay.
“I don’t really know [when I’ll stop] because sometimes you want to play more, sometimes not. So many aspects in life can make the decision change every day. It’s really hard to say.”
In the meantime, the 38-year-old wants to give himself time to reassess his goals after ticking off his biggest aim for 2024.
“I need to think about it to be honest because I had this goal to qualify for the Olympics and I’ve done it, and now I didn’t have time to really sit down with myself and think about it. So far, the main goal is to enjoy on the court and see what happens,” he smiled.