Monfils named captain of France's Davis Cup team

Monfils retired last month after more than two decades on the senior ATP circuit.

The 40-year-old will take over from the former world number 12 Paul-Henri Mathieu and lead the squad into the 2027Davis Cup, the men's international team tournament.

"Drawing on his 22 years on the professional circuit, Gaël will bring all his top-level experience to the France team," the French Tennis Federation (FFT) said in a statement.

Since the format was revamped in 2022 to parade a "Final 8", France have only featured once in the latter stages.

In Mathieu's first campaign in 2024, they were eliminated in the group stage. In 2025, they reached the Final 8 quarter-finals where they went down to Belgium. In 2026, Canada dispatched them in the second qualifying round.

'Immense source of pride'

"It's an immense source of pride to become captain of the French national team," said Monfils who played in France's Davis Cup squad between 2009 and 2019.

He won 12 of his 15 singles ties and featured in the sides that lost finals in 2010 and 2014 to Serbia and Switzerland respectivel.

In the 2014 showdown in Lille, northern France, after Stan Wawrinka had beaten Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Monfils saw off Roger Federer to level the best-of-five series at one apiece.

However, Federer and Wawrinka combined to win the doubles match and Federer sealed the victory with a straight sets defeat of Richard Gasquet to give Switzerland the trophy for the first time in the competition's 115-year history.

Injury kept Monfils out of the Davis Cup squad that vanquished Belgium in November 2017 to claim the trophy for France for the 10th time.

'This France shirt means so much to me'

"This France shirt means so much to me," Monfils added. "I want to build a real collective project and create the momentum that will allow us to go and win titles together."

Monfils, who established himself as the circuit's showman incarnate with dazzling dexterity allied to sumptuous shotmaking, will be able to call on one of the circuit's most exciting prospects in the shape of 22-year-old Arthur Fils.

During the 2026 Paris Masters, the world number seven became the first Frenchman since Monfils in 2016 to advance to the eight-man end-of-season championships.

Monfils and Moutet join three fellow Frenchmen in last 32 at Australian Open

Luca van Asche, 21, underlined his potential with a run to the semi-final at the Paris Masters.

Monfils, who will be assisted by Gasquet and the FFT's director of high performance Gilles Simon, will also be to call on the talents of Ugo Humbert, Quentin Halys and Arthur Gea who all feature in the world's top 50.

"We are convinced that Gael's infectious energy and enthusiasm will be valuable assets in driving French tennis's ambitions forward," said FFT boss Gilles Moretton.