PARIS, France (AFP) — French tennis player Gael Monfils, one of the most entertaining and popular players on the ATP tour, announced on Wednesday that he will retire at the end of next year.

The 39-year-old former world number six has been playing on the ATP tour for 21 years since his debut at the Open de Moselle in October 2004.

“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,” he said on social media.

“Though this game means the world to me, I’m tremendously at peace with my decision to retire at the end of the 2026 tennis season.”

In his lengthy career, Monfils has picked up 13 ATP titles, although he never won a Masters 1000 event, losing three times in finals, at the Paris Indoors in 2009 and 2010, and at Monte Carlo in 2016.

He twice reached a Grand Slam semi-final — at Roland Garros in 2008 and the US Open in 2016 — and is currently ranked 53 in the world.

“While I came close, I never did win a Grand Slam during my career,” he said.

“Believe me when I say that I have no regrets.”

And he added: “I’ve had the chance to play during a golden age of tennis, alongside some of the greatest names in the history of our sport: (Roger) Federer, (Rafael) Nadal, (Novak) Djokovic, (Andy) Murry.”

His pending retirement follows close on the heels of three other Frenchman from his generation: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon, whom he called “my three musketeers and best friends for life”.

Monfils played in the 2010 and 2014 Davis Cup finals, which France lost respectively to Djokovic’s Serbia and Federer’s Switzerland, but he was not part of the team in 2017 when France beat Belgium to lift the title.

Born in Paris on September 1, 1986, Monfils is known for his athleticism and ability to slide on court.

He married Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina in 2021 and they welcomed a daughter, Skai, a year later.