Gael Monfils played the 201st and final Grand Slam match of his career on Thursday night at Louis Armstrong Stadium, falling to 14th seed Learner Tien 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in a second-round encounter that doubled as a love letter from New York to one of its favourite entertainers.
The 40-year-old Frenchman, who has said he will retire at the end of the season, received a standing ovation from a packed house after his final forehand found the net. The crowd chanted "Mon-fils! Mon-fils!" as he saluted every corner of the stadium, then watched a video montage of his greatest US Open moments on the big screen before accepting a commemorative poster from tournament officials.
"It's been a long ride," Monfils told the audience during his on-court interview. "I came here in 2003 for the juniors for the first time, and here I am in 2026. Thank you very much. I felt all the love. I can tell you guys you are my second-best crowd after Paris."
His wife, former world No. 1 Elina Svitolina, sat courtside throughout, cheering every trademark diving volley and leaping smash that still punctuated a match increasingly controlled by his younger opponent.
Tien, 20 and coached by former French Open champion Michael Chang, was composed throughout. The American had requested the matchup after beating Monfils in three sets at the Montreal Masters last month, and he honoured the occasion with clean, aggressive tennis. He broke Monfils midway through the first set and never relinquished control, converting four of his ten break-point opportunities while the Frenchman squandered all eight of his own.
"I told him when we played in Montreal, I hope we get to play one more time," Tien said afterwards. "I know we didn't have many opportunities left. I'm super happy it happened here. It was an honour. Sorry for drop-shotting you so much tonight."
Monfils still produced flashes of the improvisational brilliance that defined his career — a between-the-legs winner that drew a roar from the stands, a scrambling passing shot that briefly turned the momentum — but Tien's consistency and court speed proved too much. The American sealed victory with a forehand down the line and embraced Monfils at the net in a moment that drew the match's loudest cheer.
The farewell was the latest chapter in a US Open relationship spanning more than two decades. Monfils first arrived in Flushing Meadows as a junior in 2003, reached the singles semi-finals in 2016, and leaves with 131 Grand Slam wins — the most by any French player in history, surpassing the marks of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet. His victory over Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in the first round, on his 40th birthday, made him the oldest man to win a match at the tournament since Jimmy Connors in 1992.
Monfils will continue competing on the ATP Tour through the autumn, with the Paris Masters in November expected to mark his final professional appearance. For now, New York has said its goodbye — and it was every bit as loud and warm as the man himself.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/gael-monfils-us-open-grand-slam-b8c4df2a5b77d7b97486271154e5d63f
- https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/sep/03/gael-monfils-learner-tien-us-open-final-grand-slam-match
