Gael Monfils Makes Shocking Revelation, Says Canadian Open Loss Marks His ‘Last Time in Toronto'

Gael Monfils has undoubtedly been navigating a rough patch in 2025, and his first-round exit at the Canadian Open only deepened his struggles. However, the real surprise came after the match, when he revealed it was likely his final appearance in Toronto.

The Frenchman didn’t meet expectations during the grass-court swing, with first-round exits in Stuttgart and Queen’s Club, followed by a second-round finish at Wimbledon, extending a challenging stretch in 2025. He then aimed to change his fortunes in the North American hard-court swing.

Gael Monfils Makes Stunning Announcement After Canadian Open Exit

However, the surface change brought little relief for Monfils. He began his North American hard-court swing at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, suffering a surprising straight-sets loss to China’s Wu Yibing in the opening round. He then turned his attention to the Masters 1000 event in Toronto, but the results didn’t improve.

The 38-year-old faced qualifier Tomas Barrios Vera amid the blistering heat on the center court on Sunday. The Chilean won the first set 6-4, but the French came back strong in the second and won 6-4. Interestingly, Monfils had four chances to close out the match during two third-set service games but ultimately fell short in the tiebreak, losing 7-6 (7/3) and exiting the tournament.

What came as a surprise after the match was Monfils touching the baseline and then waving to the crowd, a gesture that hinted at a possible farewell to the event. When asked about it during his press conference, Monfils said:

“It was the last time I play in Toronto, for sure, yeah.”

Gael Monfils makes a gesture to the baseline after his loss in Toronto. Possibly indicating a farewell to this event? Please, no 🥺 pic.twitter.com/urNDYphnPM — The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 27, 2025

When asked to elaborate on his decision, Monfils explained that the next ATP 1000 event in Toronto is two years away, and unfortunately, he may not be competing by then.

“There’s no explanation, you know, it’s the last one. It will be two years to play in Toronto, so pretty much I won’t be able to play it. Obviously I think the next one is too old for me, so I think it was the last time I play here.So, you know, I actually thought at the end, and I was like, Well, I think it’s, unfortunately, but the last time I think I would play here,” he added.

It is important to note that the Canadian Open alternates locations annually between the men’s and women’s events. In odd-numbered years, the men compete in Toronto while the women play in Montreal. Moreover, the locations are reversed in even-numbered years.

Monfils Wasn’t Happy With His Canadian Open Run

Later in the press conference, Monfils admitted he didn’t perform at the level he expects of himself. The Frenchman plans to review the loss and aims to regain his rhythm.

“For me it’s, again, without taking credit from my opponent, but again a bad match from my side, not the quality that I want, not the level that I want to perform. So again, watch it again, try to work hard, even though I do, but to feel this winning trick back a little bit and, yeah, try to still believe, and then keep your head up, even though it’s not easy, but I will try my best,” he said.

Currently ranked 48th in the world, Monfils holds an underwhelming 18-13 win-loss record this season and would look to improve it when he hits the court again at the Cincinnati Masters.

Also Read: ‘I Get Furious’ – Gaël Monfils Emotional Over Citi DC Open Defeat While Being Away From Wife Elina Svitolina and Daughter Skaï

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