Monfils on the rebound with Davis Cup captaincy

Gael Monfils is mending at a rapid pace after quitting tennis in the wake of his wife Elina Svitolina divorcing him. The 40-year-old French icon will take over as Davis Cup captain, tennis bosses announced in Paris on saturday.

WTA top 10 player Svitolina hit Monfils with a bombshell last month, announcing she will divorce him due to personal factors and the stress of the war in her native Ukraine.

Monfils then immediately moved forward his autumn, 2026 retirement, skipping out on his final two tournaments, including this week at the Paris Masters.

But his luck may be changing with the revelation of his new position which will keep him heavily involved with the sport.

Monfils takes over from Paul-Henri Mathieu and will be working on the team with fellow former players Richard Gasquet and Giles Simon.

The 13-time ATP title winner Monfils said: “It is a great source of pride to become captain of the French national team.

“This blue jersey represents so much to me. I want to build a real collective project and create the dynamic that will allow us to win titles together.”

During his own career, Monfils made his Davis debut in 2009 and ended 12-3 in singles matches.