Stan Wawrinka confirms that Gael Monfils will play in his last-ever match despite confusion surrounding his retirement

Stan Wawrinka’s career is not over yet, but it is undoubtedly coming to a close.

Once his current run in Lyon is over, he will have just one final ATP Tour-level event left, and then that will be that. The curtain will sadly close on a stellar 24 years which boasted three Grand Slam titles, a career-high ranking of three in the world, 16 tour-level titles and plenty of wins over the Big Three.

However, that is not the last we will see of this Swiss superstar, thankfully.

Following on from that, we have already been promised one final appearance in Geneva, which is hosting an exhibition event in his honour.

There was plenty of speculation about which of his many great rivals and friends would be joining him for this last dance, and speaking after his first-round win in Lyon, Stan Wawrinka has now confirmed them.

Of the trio who have agreed to play, there is one surprise addition.

The surprise comes not because of his relationship with Wawrinka, but instead given all that has been going on regarding his own retirement.

Monfils had planned to retire in 2026, with Lyon and the Paris Masters tipped as his final two events.

However, the 40-year-old has instead silently ended his career and subsequently withdrawn from both tournaments.

Despite this, the Frenchman is due to appear in Geneva, as Wawrinka said: “Of course, it remains an exhibition, so easier to manage. From the moment I decided to do it, it was to be able to celebrate my “goodbye” a little more easily, to also have the chance to bring my friends back.

“Roger (Federer) said yes, like Gaël (Monfils) who said yes right away, like Andy who said he would be present.

“To be able to do something a little lighter, because I know that in Basel, even if it will be beautiful, it will be quite heavy. It takes emotions.”

The reasons behind Gael Monfils’ sudden disappearance from the ATP Tour are nuanced and uncertain. We only know what we have been told following Elina Svitolina’s recent social media post.

There, she confirmed that the two would be getting a divorce, sadly bringing to an end one of tennis’ most iconic and well-liked couples.