Tennis retirements in 2026: Wawrinka, Goffin, Monfils, Nishikori, Raonic and every player who said goodbye

Stan Wawrinka played the last match of his career in Basel on 27 October, five days after David Goffin said goodbye in Brussels. They are the latest names in a season of farewells that began with Milos Raonic in January and included Kei Nishikori in Tokyo and Gael Monfils, whom the International Tennis Integrity Agency lists as retired from 5 October 2026.

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October: Goffin, Kukushkin and Wawrinka bow out

Three careers ended within a week. On 21 October, Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin, 38, lost 6-1 6-2 to Stefanos Tsitsipas in his home tournament in Almaty, ending a 20-year career that included a title in St Petersburg in 2010. A day later, David Goffin retired in Brussels after a 6-3 6-4 loss to Alex Michelsen; the Belgian won six ATP titles, the most by a Belgian man in the Open Era, and reached the 2017 ATP Finals final.

Then, on 27 October, Wawrinka lost 7-5 7-6(2) to Jiri Lehecka in the first round of the Swiss Indoors, in front of his home crowd in Basel. "It's not about me today. It's about Stan and his legendary career," Lehecka said, according to the ATP.

Monfils leaves earlier than planned

Monfils announced in October 2025 that 2026 would be his final season, and after losing 6-3 6-4 6-3 to Learner Tien in the second round of the US Open he said he wanted to keep going until the Paris Masters. That will not happen. The ITIA told L'Equipe that Monfils had informed it of his retirement and that he can no longer enter tournaments, Tennis Now reported on 14 October. The ATP event in Lyon, which had given him a wildcard, said he had withdrawn from an exhibition there for personal reasons.

No reason has been given. The Frenchman leaves with 13 tour-level titles, a career-high of No 6, reached in 2016, and two Grand Slam semi-finals, including that year's US Open. For a player who built his reputation on spectacle, it is a strangely quiet exit.

Wawrinka's last lap

Stan Wawrinka announced on 19 December 2025 that 2026 would be his final year. "Every book needs an ending," the Swiss wrote, as reported by the ATP. The three-time major champion, a former No 3 with 16 tour-level titles, said goodbye to the Grand Slams on 31 August, losing 7-6 7-6 6-0 to Matteo Berrettini in the first round in New York, the city where he won the 2016 title. "I'm gonna miss it big time," said the 41-year-old. He chose his home event in Basel for his final tournament.

Nishikori and Goffin: farewells announced in spring

Two more former top-10 players set end-of-season dates. David Goffin, 35, confirmed on 27 March that this would be his final year on tour. The Belgian reached No 7 and won six titles, the biggest in Tokyo in 2017. "Some decisions stay with you for a long time," he said.

On 30 April, Kei Nishikori followed; he played his final match at the Japan Open in Tokyo on 1 October, losing to Frances Tiafoe, and was honoured at the tournament on 6 October. The first Japanese man in the top 10, he reached No 4, won 12 titles and played the 2014 US Open final. "To be honest, I still wish I could continue my playing career," he told fans, according to the ATP. On the WTA side, Sorana Cirstea is also playing her announced final season, and has kept to her plan despite reaching the Roland-Garros quarter-finals at 36.

Raonic, Evans and Sevastova have already gone

Milos Raonic announced his retirement on 11 January, 18 months after his last match at the Paris Olympics. The Canadian won eight titles, reached No 3 and played the 2016 Wimbledon final. "This is as ready as I will ever be," he said.

Anastasija Sevastova, a former No 11 and 2018 US Open semi-finalist, announced on 30 April that she was stopping for a second time, the WTA reported; she had first retired in 2013. Britain's Dan Evans finished at Wimbledon on 1 July, losing a first-round doubles match alongside 20-year-old Henry Searle. The former world No 21 and winner of two ATP titles called it "a pretty cool way to finish".

A doubles era closes

Doubles lost three former No 1s. Jamie Murray, a seven-time major champion and the first British player to top the doubles rankings, announced his retirement on 15 April. Rajeev Ram, 42, retired after the US Open, where he and Joe Salisbury reached the semi-finals in their last tournament together. Salisbury, 34, followed on 16 September; the pair won 14 of his 17 tour-level titles, including three straight US Opens and two Nitto ATP Finals. "I gave it my all," the Briton said.

For the tour, the result is a generation stepping aside at the same time as a teenage wave is arriving. Wawrinka and Goffin both got the home farewells they wanted. Monfils, the great entertainer of his era, had not commented publicly when the news broke.