Gael Monfils concludes U.S. Open career with emotional farewell

Fans inside Louis Armstrong Stadium expressed their support for Gael Monfils during his final U.S. Open match on Thursday night, where he faced 14th-seeded American Learner Tien. Tien won the match with scores of 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, despite Monfils having the crowd behind him. Monfils, who is nearing retirement at the end of this season, thanked the audience during his on-court interview, recalling his first appearance at the tournament in 2003. He stated, "Good evening, New York. I want to thank you all. It’s been a long ride. I came here in 2003 for Juniors for the first time, and here I am in 2026. I’ve had a long ride. Thank you very much. I felt all the love. I can tell you, you guys are my second-best crowd, of course after Paris. You’re up there, so thank you so much. I just want to tell you it’s been an absolute honor for me to play all this year in front of you." After the match, a video montage of Monfils' moments at the U.S. Open was shown, and USTA CEO Craig Tiley and tournament director Eric Butorac presented him with a framed poster. Monfils has participated in the tournament 18 times since 2005, achieving 34 career match victories, the most by a French player at the U.S. Open. His best finish was in 2016 when he reached the semifinals. The crowd applauded as he left the court for the last time. Monfils commented on the atmosphere, saying, "It was unbelievable atmosphere. Amazing energy on the court. It was really nice. You always want to give a little bit more, you know, you want to stay a little bit more. I gave my absolute all, even I think I went over, but Learner was a really tough one tonight. Really big credit to him." Monfils is expected to play his last match at the Paris Masters in late October or early November. Although he never won a Grand Slam, the 40-year-old gained popularity for his sincerity and entertaining style. He announced plans to work in finance after retiring from tennis, stating, "I will work in wealth management in a Swiss company."