Sports

The legacy of French star Gael Monfils

May 25, 2026, 10:16 PM ET

PARIS — After taking a 5-3 lead in the fourth set with a forehand winner, Gael Monfils waved his arms to the devoted crowd of nearly 15,000 at Philippe-Chatrier court, encouraging them to cheer.

The fans didn’t need the reminder — but they obliged all the same.

Moments later, he forced a deciding set against Hugo Gaston. There were “Ga-el, Ga-el” cheers, as had been heard throughout the steamy Parisian evening, and “Staying Alive” blared on the stadium loudspeaker. Dozens of “Merci Gael” shirts could be seen throughout the stands.

It seemed, thanks yet again to his signature, high-energy style and astounding shotmaking — that he had found magic at Roland Garros one more time. But, despite the never-ending will of those in attendance, it was not to be. Gaston, his fellow Frenchman 14 years his junior, routed him in the final set for a 6-2, 6-3, 2-6, 3-6, 6-0 final and, just like that, Monfils’ storied career at the French Open had come to a close.

The 39-year-old Monfils had announced at the start of the season that it would be his last on tour. And though there are many tournaments he still hopes to play, including Wimbledon and the US Open, everyone knew the French Open would be the most significant, and where he would receive the grandest of send-offs. He had won it as a junior in 2004, and Roland Garros had been the site of his first major semifinal as a professional. And it’s also where, in the words of tournament director Amelie Mauresmo, he could be described only as a “French legend.”

After the match was over, when addressing the crowd, he called the tournament “unique, exceptional and amazing.”

“I shiver, I say it’s magic, it’s something incredible,” he said in French about playing at the event.

Less than an hour later, he told reporters he still hadn’t fully processed the night.

“It’s a mixed feeling between hpiness, sadness, and, you know, it’s a lot of feelings, a lot of emotion,” he said. “It’s very hard to describe.”

Though it might take some time for Monfils to preciate all that he has achieved, those in the sport are already more than aware of his legacy and influence. For many years, he had been among France’s best hopes to win a major title, and though that probably won’t hpen, it’s clear, based on the reception from the crowd Monday night and the glowing video tribute that featured several Slam champions, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, among many others, he won’t soon be forgotten.

“Gael, thank you for everything,” Alcaraz said in the video. “For me, you were a true inspiration. A great athlete, but the most important thing, a great person off the court.”

After defeating Monfils in the fourth round of the 2025 Australian Open, Ben Shelton, like so many others, couldn’t help but praise his opponent.

“Gael is a guy that I’ve watched since I was a little kid,” Shelton said. “I always say that he’s the greatest highlight te of all time.”

It’s a sentiment that has been echoed throughout Monfils’ career.

Known for infectious energy, dazzling athleticism and an endless array of jaw-dropping and physics-defying shots, Monfils has long been a crowd favorite at tour stops around the globe. In an open letter to their 3-year-old daughter for “The Players Tribune,” Elina Svitolina — who had a dramatic three-set victory of her own earlier in the day Monday — compared watching Monfils to hearing the perfect song at a concert or the perfect line in a movie.

“Gael Monfils was one of the greatest shot-makers anyone has ever seen. There are others who were more consistent, or who made fewer mistakes … but it’s interesting,” Svitolina wrote. “Because when you say why these players are great, maybe you are needing to give a long explanation. Or you are needing to show many statistics, or a whole match, or a whole tournament. But with your dad? It’s not like this.

“With your dad, it’s so simple. You can show someone a single point of his, even a single shot … and now they will ‘get it.’ Because your dad, in just one shot, one moment, he could achieve what I think few athletes ever achieve. He could make people feel something.”

That was evident in the match Monday night. The crowd seemed to live and breathe with every point, chanting and yelling “Allons-y!” (“Let’s go!”) whenever it seemed he needed a moment of encouragement.

And that reception was hardly anything new. Monfils has always drawn the cheers and the crowds, but since he announced this would be his final year on tour, it has only increased. Felix Auger-Aliassime played Monfils at Indian Wells in March and he said the crowd was unlike anything he had previously experienced.

“The atmosphere on the court was absolutely unbelievable,” Auger-Aliassime said last week. “It was the first round. People were so hpy, so excited to see him one last time. He’s very loved everywhere he goes.”

A highly touted junior player, who reached the world No. 1 ranking and won three of the four major boys’ singles titles in 2004, Monfils was the 2005 ATP Newcomer of the Year. But his professional career never quite reached the same heights, nor lived up to early expectations — in large part because he was playing in the era of the Big Three of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. Though many hoped he could be the one to sn the major drought among French men — 43 years and counting — that seems all but impossible now. Still, he notched two major semifinal pearances (at the 2008 French Open and 2016 US Open), won 13 ATP titles and achieved a No. 6 world ranking.

But as Svitolina noted, “statistics will not cture his whole unique greatness.” His legacy extends beyond simply results or trophies. As a Black player, who started his career at a time when there were few on tour, many credit him for helping inspire the next generation.

“Honestly for me, seeing representation is so important,” four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, 28, said. “On the women’s side, for me growing up, I had Serena and Venus [Williams], so I was so grateful to them. On the men’s side I always looked up to [Monfils] and [Jo-Wilfried] Tsonga for such a long time. I think it’s just so important. And obviously there is a wave of Black French guys coming up. … I know for sure he’s inspired a lot of players here. I just really love the way he carries himself, the way he represents us.”

Osaka held a dinner party last week in Paris, alongside Taylor Townsend, for the Black players competing at the French Open. Monfils was in attendance. When addressing backlash about the event, Osaka wrote it was “a celebration about how far we have come” in the sport.

Auger-Aliassime, 25, said Monfils helped bring in “players who were not necessarily that interested in tennis” previously and brought in a “different perspective.” Arthur Fils, a 21-year-old French player who is Black, has repeatedly called Monfils a “big brother” figure and someone he grew up watching. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, another up-and-coming Black French player who lost to Djokovic on Philippe-Chatrier court Sunday, has cited Monfils among his childhood idols.

For others, it’s Monfils’ personality and warmth that will be remembered most, although that too is something that Svitolina attributed in her letter to growing up Black in France and in the sport, and often needing to navigate unwelcoming environments. Djokovic, a 24-time major champion, said he has known Monfils since they were 13 or 14 and has considered him a friend and a rival — and one of his favorite players to watch — in the decades since.

“[He is] somebody that has touched so many people’s hearts, has respect from I think everyone in [the] men’s and women’s locker rooms, across all the generations he has competed with,” Djokovic said. “I mean, I don’t know anyone that really doesn’t like Gael.”

Ugo Humbert, a 27-year-old French player who grew up watching Monfils, seconded that assessment. After calling Monfils a “great person” who had always been there on tour for anyone who needed him, Humbert was asked during his pre-tournament news conference if he had ever heard anyone say anything bad about Monfils.

He didn’t hesitate.

“No. Honestly, no.”

And that, Djokovic said in his video tribute Monday, might just be Monfils’ “biggest victory” of all.

Sports

St Mirren: Will Craig McLeish stay as manager after rollercoaster season?

It was far from a convincing performance against Thistle, hardly surprising given what was at stake, and the relief from fans and players alike was obvious after the game.

“We wanted to make sure the players were remembered as legends at this club after winning the League Cup,” McLeish said.

“We didn’t want that black mark against our name.

“First half was nervy, cagey and full of mistakes. It wasn’t really tactical, just us controlling our emotions. We did that better in the second half.”

McLeish won three of his nine league matches after Robinson left, but he was unable to keep St Mirren out of the play-off spot as Kilmarnock shone after the split.

A change of proach initially yielded an upturn in performances, but results started to slide and a run of four defeats without scoring cost them.

The 36-year-old stand-in boss was unable to completely solve the goalscoring issues that plagued their season.

Key defender Alex Gogic says McLeish could do more with greater time, though, and would be hpy for him to stay on.

“Yeah, of course, whatever the club chooses,” Gogic said.

“If he has a pre-season, it will probably be better than what it is. If the club decide to go his way, we’ll all be behind that.”

Former Dundee United and Partick Thistle boss Ian McCall says McLeish has done his chances no harm by steering St Mirren to safety.

“I don’t think he had any chance of getting the job if St Mirren were relegated,” McCall said.

“What he has done is conducted himself really well and given himself a real chance of the job.

“The power-that-be here took a real chance pointing a young lad like that. But he has come through it really well. He has talked really well.

“He came through one dodgy moment when Kilmarnock won here 3-0. But he’s come back from that really strongly.

“It didn’t just plummet when Craig McLeish took over. It was a bad run of results when Stephen Robinson was there after the cup final which brought this on. He certainly has a chance.”

Sports

Princeton wins first NCAA mens lacrosse title since 2001

May 25, 2026, 04:07 PM ET

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Chad Palumbo scored all four of his goals in the first half, Colin Burns also had a hat trick, and Princeton beat Notre Dame 16-9 on Monday for its first NCAA men’s lacrosse championship since 2001.

Top-seeded Princeton (17-2) won its 12th straight game this season to improve to 7-2 in NCAA championship matches. The Tigers were in the championship game for the ninth time in program history, with the first eight coming between 1992 and 2002.

No. 2 seed Notre Dame (13-3) was in the final for the third time in four years, with titles in 2023 and 2024. The Irish also had championship losses in 2010 and 2014.

Princeton trailed 3-0 before scoring the last 11 goals of the first half.

Palumbo had a hand in the Tigers’ first three goals. Then he scored his 48th goal of the season with 22 seconds before halftime for a 11-3 lead. It was Palumbo’s fifth game this season with four-plus goals.

Luke Miller scored a man-up goal with 4:54 left in the third to pull Notre Dame within 12-7. But Burns answered with his 11th goal of the tournament to extend the lead to 13-7.

Tucker Wade made it 14-8, on Princeton’s 50th shot of the game, for his 13th multigoal game of the season.

Goalie Ryan Croddick made 13 saves to help Princeton keep its sixth postseason opponent to 10 goals or fewer.

Notre Dame’s only regular-season loss came against Virginia — also in Charlottesville.

Sports

West Ham: Nuno Espirito Santo meeting Hammers hierarchy amid exit rumours

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo is meeting senior management on Monday to assess the impact of relegation to the Championship, amid a belief he is likely to leave the club.

Nuno refused to say whether he would remain at London Stadium after failing to prevent the club dropping out of the Premier League for the first time since 2011.

It is expected his future will be resolved this week.

The former Wolves, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest manager signed a three-year deal with the Hammers in September.

Despite improved form toward the end of the season, including a final day 3-0 victory over Leeds, West Ham paid the price for a poor start, followed by a run of 10 games without a win from the beginning of November to the middle of January.

Chairman David Sullivan and vice-chairman Daniel Kretinsky are likely to be the key voices in the meeting.

West Ham sources have indicated relegation will cost the club about £200m in lost income at a time when finances are already stretched.

The Hammers made a £104m loss in their most recent accounts to 31 May 2025 and are predicted to lose another large sum this season.

Sales pear inevitable, with Mateus Fernandes on Manchester United‘s list of central midfielders they are interested in.

Skipper Jarrod Bowen is also coveted by a number of Premier League clubs, although he didn’t want to talk about that when interviewed by Match of the Day after the Leeds game.

“It’s still very, very raw,” the winger said. “Talking about futures is disrespectful to the club, the fans, everything like that.

“This club deserves to be in the Premier League. Our aim now is to get this club back into the Premier League.”

Sports

Transfer rumors, news: Milan failure puts Pulisic future in doubt

May 25, 2026, 04:34 AM ET

Christian Pulisic and Luka Modric are among the players who could depart AC Milan after the club failed to meet their goals this season, while Manchester United want to bring in Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

Transfers home page | Men’s winter grades | Women’s grades

TRENDING RUMORS

– Gazzetta dello Sport claims that AC Milan will be looking at major changes after the club failed to seal a spot in the UEFA Champions League next season after a 2-1 home defeat by ‌Cagliari on Sunday. Manager Massimiliano Allegri is likely to depart, while the futures of star players like Christian Pulisic, Luka Modric, Adrien Rabiot, Rafael Leão, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Fikayo Tomori are also up in the air as Milan will need to recoup around €100 million to plug their financial gs.

– Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni is considered a “dream” signing by Manchester United, according to Fabrizio Romano. The United hierarchy reportedly believe that Tchouameni could have similar impact to Casemiro, though any deal could cost upwards of €100 million. Meanwhile, United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo turned down a £40 million move to Chelsea last summer, says The Athletic. Mainoo, 21, has been reborn under new boss Michael Carrick, having struggled under Ruben Amorim, but when Chelsea enquired about a permanent deal at the end of last season, the player turned it down.

– Chelsea have no intention of letting striker João Pedro leave this summer, despite growing interest from Barcelona, says Fabrizio Romano. While the Brazil international didn’t make the final squad for the 2026 World Cup, he is viewed as an ideal replacement for Robert Lewandowski at Camp Bou. But no fee will tempt the Blues into discussions as both Pedro and midfielder Cole Palmer are viewed as stars to rebuild the Chelsea project around, ahead of Xabi Alonso’s arrival as manager this summer. Meanwhile, Football Insider claims that Chelsea are also planning to ramp up contract talks with 23-year-old defender Levi Colwill to fend off interest from elsewhere.

– Liverpool left back Andy Robertson is now expected to join Tottenham Hotspur, after the club kept their Premier League status on the final day of the season. The Times claims that the Scotland international is ready to join on a free transfer, with his contract coming to an end this summer. Tottenham were linked with a move back in January, but Robertson, 32, stayed with the Reds and was given a guard of honor from his teammates on Sunday during their draw with Brentford after nine years with the club.

play

0:53

Leboeuf: Chelsea need to ‘wake up’ ahead of Xabi Alonso’s arrival

Frank Leboeuf hopes Xabi Alonso can turn things around at Chelsea next season after finishing 10th in the Premier League.

OTHER RUMORS

– Liverpool have made a €120 million offer to RB Leipzig to sign 19-year-old winger Yan Diomande. (Ekrem Konur)

– Manchester United, Arsenal and PSG are keen on West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, but the relegation club are demanding an £80 million fee. (Daily Mail)

– France forward Randal Kolo Muani, 27, will return to Paris Saint-Germain after a poor loan spell at Tottenham, with Fenerbahce monitoring his situation. (Fanatik)

– Goncalo Ramos could leave PSG this summer, with some background work already underway over an exit for the Portugal striker. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Manchester City are planning new contract talks with Rodri amid interest from Real Madrid in the midfielder. (Football Insider)

– Tottenham are lining up a move for Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, 24, in the summer. (A Bola)

– Atalanta midfielder Éderson has verbally agreed a five-year deal with Manchester United. (Ben Jacobs)

– Nottingham Forest are readying a move for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney, after Boro failed to secure a return to the Premier League in their Championship playoff final defeat to Hull City. (TEAMtalk)

– Maxence Lacroix may have played his final Premier League game for Crystal Palace, with “top” European clubs and English sides considering a €40 million move. (RMC Sport)

– Rangers have agreed a deal to sign Hearts ctain Lawrence Shankland, with the 30-year-old striker set to join his boyhood club on a free transfer. (Fabrizio Romano)

– A meeting has been scheduled between AC Milan and Leon Goretzka‘s representatives, with the Serie A club ready to offer a deal until 2029 for the Bayern Munich star, who is leaving the Bundesliga champions as a free agent. (Nicolo Schira)

– Jonathan David is set to leave Juventus this summer, as Premier League clubs Newcastle, Aston Villa, Leeds, Brighton, and Crystal Palace are showing interest in the Canada striker. (Ekrem Konur)

Sports

World Surf League photographer bitten by sea creature

The finals day of the World Surf League’s New Zealand Pro event was paused after a photogrher was attacked in the water by a sea creature that organisers believe was a shark or sea lion.

The incident hpened as Brazilian surfers Yago Dora and Italo Ferreira competed in the men’s semi-finals in Raglan on the North Island.

A ‘code red’ was activated with the event put on hold on Monday while medical teams responded.

Renato Hickel, World Surf League vice-president of tours and competition, said the photogrher, Australian Ed Sloane, had “small puncture wounds” and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

“We activate the code red when it’s a sea life attack on a surfer or a photogrher. This time it was our beloved water photogrher and thank God he’s in good spirits. He’s well considering what hpened,” Hickel said on the WSL broadcast.

He added: “At this stage we’re not certain if it was a shark or a sea lion. The doctor that was here helping on the scene was inclined to think it was a sea lion instead of a shark.

“Nevertheless very scary. Italo and Yago were very shaken. They saw the splash and the incident, so another reason to put the event on hold.

Sloane thanked the medical team and the WSL water patrol for their “immediate assistance” in a statement shared by the surf league.

“I am doing okay, I’ve had bites to my left foot and am getting medical attention,” he said.

“I love this place and can’t wait to watch an epic Finals Day,” he added. “Cheering for everyone for a great finish to the event.”

The event got back underway after several hours with safety measures including additional jet skis and a drone spotter to monitor the water.

It remains unclear what bit Sloane.