Frenchman Gael Monfils turned his farewell to the tennis courts into a touching message to his little daughter, Skye. Yesterday (Tuesday), he expressed his hope that the fans would one day see him play in Paris, while he thanked the fans of the French capital for their role in making his 22-year career a dream come true.
The French player, known for his showmanship and popular personality, was intending to bring down the curtain on his career this year, with a final appearance in the Paris Masters Championship this week, but he decided to quietly retire last month, coinciding with his separation from his wife, Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina.
Paris was keen to give him a farewell worthy of his busy career. He was joined on the field by his compatriots: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, Richard Gasquet and Benoit Paire, during a special honoring ceremony.
Monfils (40 years old) said in his farewell speech: “I will not hide the matter, as this is a very difficult moment.”
He added: “The most beautiful thing this world has given me is you, this wonderful audience. It's not easy at all, but I want to thank you all... I've spent 22 years as a professional player. 22 years of an extraordinary story that I could never have imagined. I would like to thank everyone, both those here and those watching from home; Because thanks to you, I was able to achieve my dream.”
The most poignant moment came when Monfils addressed his daughter, recalling his relationship with the game and the city that formed a large part of his life.
Monfils and Svitolina were married in July 2021, before they gave birth to their daughter, Sky, in October of the following year.
He said to his daughter: “Sky, your father was a tennis player... He loved this sport. He grew up in Paris and had the support of a wonderful audience. “I hope from the bottom of my heart that you become a great champion in whatever field you choose, and that one day I see you playing here in Paris.”
Monfils is considered one of the most present and attractive players of his generation. He was famous for his amazing physical abilities and his showmanship, which gained him great popularity among the fans.
He won 13 singles titles on the ATP Tour, starting with his first title in Poland in 2005, and ending with his last title in Auckland in January 2025.
His most notable achievements in the four major tournaments came when he reached the semi-finals in the French Open in 2008 and the US Open in 2016, before his career in the major tournaments ended during this year’s edition of the US Open, when he lost to American Lerner Tian in the second round.
Bayern Munich strengthened its position among the most prominent candidates to win the European Champions League title, after achieving a valuable victory (2-0) over its host Atletico Madrid yesterday (Tuesday), presenting a display characterized by defensive discipline and offensive effectiveness on the stadium that will host the final next June.
In front of coach Diego Simeone's team, known for its toughness and loud fans, the German champion appeared in a cohesive and mature manner despite the absence of a number of its influential players on the front line, in addition to coach Vincent Kompany, who continues to recover after fainting during one of the training sessions.
The victory came at an important time for Bayern, who tied (2-2) with Arsenal and (3-3) against Viking in their previous two European matches, which made obtaining the three points necessary to strengthen their hopes of finishing the league stage in the top eight places and grabbing a direct qualification ticket to the round of sixteen.
On the other hand, Atletico, which reached the semi-finals last season, entered the match with great confidence after avoiding loss in its last nine matches, achieving eight victories during them, but it found it extremely difficult to create dangerous opportunities in front of the tight defensive organization of the Bavarian team.
Bayern had conceded at least four goals in the aggregate of the two-legged matches in each of their last four appearances during which they exited the tournament, but their defensive solidity this time gave them control of the course of the match, before Lennart Karl took advantage of an error by Robin Le Normand to open the scoring.
Aaron Danks, assistant coach of Bayern Munich, said in a press conference: “The way the players defended as one team and kept a clean sheet was a source of great happiness for us, and reflects a distinguished team performance.”
He added: “The match was an embodiment of the group’s spirit. The players persevered in the face of difficult circumstances and succeeded in achieving an important result on one of the most difficult European stadiums.”
Although Harry Kane's decisive pass and the powerful shot of Konrad Laimer stole the show in the second goal, the shot was the result of organized collective pressure that forced Atletico to lose the ball in a dangerous area.
Without the need for a phenomenal individual performance or a remarkable offensive display, Bayern succeeded in imposing its rhythm and containing the Spanish team for most of the match.
With Kane, who won the Ballon d'Or, Bayern has a squad brimming with talent and experience capable of keeping up with the continent's strongest clubs. If the balance between attacking power and collective discipline constituted one of the most prominent secrets of Paris Saint-Germain's success in winning the title twice, Bayern showed at the Metropolitano Stadium that it, in turn, possesses the same ingredients that make it a serious contender for the European crown.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters on Tuesday that his country will not allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships scheduled for next month in Alberta.
Canada, which is one of Ukraine's most prominent supporters in its war with Russia, has already condemned the decision taken by the Court of Arbitration for Sport earlier this week to allow the Russians to participate in the activities of the International Ice Hockey Federation.
The World Junior Championships are scheduled to be held from late December to early January.
“As long as Russia and Belarus support this illegal, unjustified and horrific war in Ukraine, and as long as this war continues, none of these athletes will represent their countries in Canada,” he said.
He added during a press conference at the end of a summit in Antigua, “So, if you are asking specifically about the World Junior Championships, the Russians will not participate in it.”
Earlier, the game federations in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and the Czech Republic announced that they would refuse to face Russia in the World Men's Ice Hockey Championship, which will be held next year in Germany.
Oleg Stepanov, the Russian ambassador to Canada, said that the decision is regrettable, adding in statements to the official TASS agency: “It is unfortunate that Carney’s office is interfering politics even in junior hockey competitions, which are supposed to be a unifying factor and not a cause of division.”
