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Monfils to captain France at Davis Cup
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
Gaël Monfils has been appointed captain of France’s Davis Cup team, a month after retiring as a player. He will lead the team when its qualifying campaign begins in February, replacing Paul-Henri Mathieu, who took France to last year’s quarter-finals.
The former world number six represented France in eight Davis Cup editions, winning 12 of 15 singles matches during a 22-year professional career. He beat Roger Federer in straight sets in the 2014 final, which France lost to Switzerland; Monfils was not part of the side that won the title in 2017. He says he wants to build a team-focused project and help France win titles.
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In short
- Monfils becomes France’s Davis Cup captain a month after retiring.
- He won 12 of 15 singles matches for France in the competition.
- His first campaign as captain begins in February.
How this story developed
- 1 hour ago Gael Monfils has been appointed captain of France’s Davis Cup team, a month after retiring as a player. He will take charge when France begin qualifying in February, bringing extensive experience of the competition and aiming to help the team win titles.
- 1 hour ago Gaël Monfils has been appointed captain of France’s Davis Cup team, a month after retiring as a player. He will lead the team when its qualifying campaign begins in February, replacing Paul-Henri Mathieu, who took France to last year’s quarter-finals.
Full account
Gaël Monfils has been appointed captain of France’s Davis Cup team, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) announced on Saturday. The move comes shortly after the 40-year-old ended a 22-year career as a player. He succeeds Paul-Henri Mathieu, who had led the side for three years.
Monfils represented France in eight Davis Cup editions and won 12 of his 15 singles matches. He reached the final with the team in 2010 and 2014, but France lost on both occasions. In the 2014 final, he beat Roger Federer in straight sets before Switzerland secured the tie. He was not part of the French team that won the country’s tenth title in 2017.
The new captain said he was proud to take on the role and wanted to build a collective project capable of winning titles. The FFT said his experience on the professional circuit would benefit the team. He will be joined in the support staff by former team-mates Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon.
France’s next Davis Cup campaign is due to begin in February 2027. One report says the team will start its qualifying campaign then; another notes that France failed to reach this year’s finals in Bologna. Monfils’s playing career ended after his final appearance at the US Open in September, according to one account. Another describes a longer farewell season and says he confirmed his retirement on 26 October, after withdrawing from the active-player list kept by anti-doping authorities.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The reports give different accounts of the timing and manner of Monfils’s retirement: one links it to his US Open exit in September, while another says he confirmed it on 26 October after a longer farewell season and a change to his anti-doping registration.
The reports vary in their description of his Davis Cup record. One highlights his eight editions and 12 wins from 15 singles matches; another says he reached two finals without winning the trophy.
One report says Monfils took over from Mathieu, who led France to last year’s quarter-finals. The other says Mathieu held the captaincy for three years and focuses on France’s failure to qualify for the current year’s finals.
The second accessible report adds personal context about Monfils’s separation from Elina Svitolina and his tribute at the Paris Masters. The first report does not include those details.
Centre outlets 2
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Explained simply
The Davis Cup is an international men’s tennis competition in which national teams compete for the title. France has a long history in the event, and its team includes players selected to represent the country.
Gaël Monfils is a former French player who reached sixth in the world rankings and played in eight Davis Cup editions. He won 12 of his 15 singles matches in the competition, including a victory over Roger Federer in the 2014 final, which France lost to Switzerland.
A Davis Cup captain leads the team and helps guide its campaign. Monfils takes over from Paul-Henri Mathieu, whose France team reached the quarter-finals last year; France last won the title in 2017.
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