The two selections span three decades of French tennis — one a farewell, the other a beginning.
For Gaël Monfils, the appearance will carry particular weight. The Frenchman has announced that 2026 will be the final season of his professional career, bringing to a close more than two decades on tour. A former world number six and winner of 13 ATP titles, Monfils reached the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2016, losing to Rafael Nadal 7-5, 5-7, 6-0 — one of the few French players ever to reach that stage in Monaco.
His presence this year forms part of a farewell tour for one of the most entertaining and charismatic players of his generation, whose athleticism and showmanship made him a consistent crowd favourite throughout his career.
Cottalorda holds a Master’s degree in Economic Sciences and a postgraduate diploma in estate planning. He began his administrative career in April 2005 at the Service d’Information et de ContrĂ´le des Circuits Financiers (SICCFIN), Monaco’s financial intelligence unit, where he held several roles including Deputy Director until September 2013.
He subsequently worked as a consultant advising professionals subject to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing obligations, before returning to the public sector in August 2024 as Special Adviser to the Secretariat of the Department of Finance and the Economy.
The Palace said his combined public and private sector experience gives him valuable expertise in the financial compliance challenges facing the Principality.
Pope Leo XIV made history in Monaco on Saturday, marking a moment that will remain indelibly tied to the Principality’s story. Here, we revisit the defining images of the day – official photographs from the Palace that preserve these moments as part of Monaco’s enduring history.
The Holy Father touched down at 9am, welcomed by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène as 21 cannon shots rang out from Fort Antoine.
Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène receiving Pope Leo XIV, photo credit: Sarah Steck, Prince’s Palace
The streets of the Rock were packed from early morning. From the minute security opened up the barriers for security checks, lines were already tracing multiple metres, with crowds quickly taking up every corner of the route the Pontiff would later travel.
A formal welcome ceremony then took place as soon as the Pope entered the Palace in the Cour d’Honneur, with Prince Albert II, Princess Charlène, Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella waiting to greet the Holy Father.
The day’s most anticipated and heartfelt moment arrived when the Pope and the Princely family stepped out onto the Palace balcony together, met with a wave of cheering from the thousands packed in the square below.
The Pope then departed the Princely Palace in his popemobile, travelling through the Principality’s narrow streets as he greeted families and offered blessings to newborns. For many in Monaco, witnessing the Pope in person for the first – and perhaps only – time was an extraordinary experience, one that will remain with them for years to come.
For a fortunate few whose children received the Pope’s blessing, the emotion was unmistakable: parents visibly trembling with joy, their voices breaking as they offered repeated thanks. It was a scene powerful enough to move even those without religious conviction.
The day closed at the Stade Louis II, transformed for the occasion and filled to capacity, where Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Pontifical Mass on the eve of Palm Sunday in the presence of the Princely Family.
