Gaël Monfils, the French tennis showman, concluded his Grand Slam career with a straight-sets defeat to Learner Tien in the second round of the US Open on Thursday night. The 40-year-old fell 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 to the No 14 seed, bringing an end to his 22-year Grand Slam journey.
Monfils had previously announced his intention to retire after the 2026 season. Despite the quieter farewell than some of his previous dramatic matches, he praised the "unbelievable atmosphere" and expressed pride in his effort, stating, "I gave my absolute all, but Learner was a really tough one tonight."
The match saw 20-year-old Tien wear down Monfils with long rallies on a muggy night at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Monfils, who entered the tournament on a wildcard, had earlier become the oldest man to win a US Open match since Jimmy Connors in 1992, on the day he turned 40.
Following the match, Monfils was presented with a framed picture in an on-court ceremony. He also revealed that his post-tennis career will involve an office job with a Swiss wealth management company.