Paris ¨C Popular Frenchman Gael Monfils said on Saturday he was grateful to have ?inspired more Black tennis players to believe they can succeed in the sport, adding his impending retirement will offer him a clearer view of his impact.

Monfils turned professional in 2004 and won 13 ATP titles, but it was his entertaining brand of tennis, built on showmanship ?and athleticism, that made him a fan favorite in his own country and ?around ?the world.

Ahead of his final French Open campaign and retirement at ?the end of the season, the energetic 39-year-old said he was yet to fully appreciate his influence while still on tour.

¡°Of course, now that I¡¯m finishing, I think I¡¯ll ?see a bit more,¡± Monfils told reporters.

¡°I think when you¡¯re in it, it¡¯s tough to look ?around (and see) how much influence you have had. I¡¯m very grateful if I¡¯ve inspired some players.

¡°Of course, I know some young kids, they like ?my style, the way I play, ?the way I move, for the Black community also to see someone on the tour ... I think it was important.

¡°I inspired ?some Black players ?to say, yeah, they can make it ... So I¡¯ll see ?it a bit later and during this last year.¡±

Monfils was part of ?a star-studded ?exhibition on Court Philippe Chatrier on Thursday, with the event blending tennis, music and tributes to celebrate his two-decade journey on the professional tour.

Former women¡¯s world No. 1 Naomi Osaka, who was part of the celebrations, hailed Monfils for his ?role in growing the game through his presence and success.

¡°Yeah, seeing representation is so important, and on the women¡¯s side, for me growing up, I had Serena and Venus (Williams), so I was so grateful to them,¡± said Osaka, who has a Haitian-American father and a Japanese mother.

¡°On the ?men¡¯s side, I always looked up to him and (Jo-Wilfried) Tsonga ?for such a long time. It¡¯s just so important. And obviously there¡¯s a wave of ?Black French guys coming up. I can see that he¡¯s inspired ... a lot of players here.

¡°I really love the way he carries himself and the way he represents us. He¡¯s just such a really cool guy. It¡¯s nice to talk ?to him now, because we talk about our kids. It¡¯s just a funny thing to have in common with him.¡±