Gael Monfils was born in Paris, France, on September 1, 1986, to his father, Rufin Monfils, and mother, Sylvette Cartesse. He also has a brother, Daryl Monfils, who competed with Gael in the 2012 Montpellier Open. In July 2021, Monfils married a fellow professional tennis player Elina Svitolina. The pair welcomed their first child, Skai Monfils, on October 22, 2022.
At school, Monfils displayed a talent for athletics and tennis but later pursued a tennis career - a decision guided by his parents. According to one of Monfils’ former athletics coaches, he could have made it to the 100-metre Olympic final if he chose this path.
Nonetheless, Monfils was dedicated to his professional tennis career and excelled at the junior level. In 2004, the French player reached number one in the combined junior rankings and won several elite titles. Such victories included boys' singles victories at the Australian Open, the Roland Garros, and Wimbledon.
In 2004, aged 17, Monfils officially turned pro and started to compete on the ATP Tour. His first-ever ATP-level appearance came at the Moselle Open, where he reached the quarter-finals before losing to compatriot Richard Gasquet. By the end of 2004, Monfils was ranked 239th in the official ATP Rankings, up from 925 where he started the season.
The French player continued to develop at a rapid rate and won his first ATP title in 2005 - the Idea Prokom Open. In 2006, Monfils broke into the ATP Top 25, which came after he reached the fourth round at the Roland Garros. Despite notching 50 career wins in 2007, Monfils’ progress was hampered by a late-season injury at the US Open.
This ruled Monfils out of the 2008 Australian Open, but he returned with a bang with his joint-best Grand Slam run. At the 2008 Roland Garros, Monfils reached the semi-final before losing to Roger Federer. Monfils then produced several consecutive seasons of consistent top-level tennis, leading to some career highs.
During the 2009 season, Monfils broke into the ATP Top 10. This season, he also secured his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Paris Masters. He would then return in 2010 to successfully defend his ATP 1000 title against Robin Soderling.
More consistency followed in 2011 as Monfils climbed to seventh in the rankings. However, a back injury in 2012 ruled him out for most of the season, while 2013 was a period of rebuilding as the Frenchman returned to the Top 40.
It wasn't until 2016 that Monfils rediscovered his top-level form. This season, Monfils produced some of his best-ever performances and climbed to number six in the rankings. The rise followed some standout performances in a semi-final French Open run and another ATP Masters 1000 final appearance at the Monte-Carlo Masters, where Monfils lost to Rafael Nadal.
Since 2016, Monfils has continued to perform at the elite level in the ATP. Today, Monfils has the French record for most hard-court wins and has amassed over 500 Tour-level victories. However, recurring injuries to his knee, back, shoulder, and foot have prevented Monfils’ success. Since 2007, the Frenchman has missed at least 15 Grand Slam events due to injury.
