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US Open: Gaël Monfils bids farewell to Grand Slam tennis after second-round defeat in New York

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Outcome reported
  • Gaël Monfils lost 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 to Learner Tien in the second round of the US Open, ending his Grand Slam career at age 40.
  • The New York crowd gave the Frenchman a standing ovation and repeatedly chanted his name during his final appearance at the tournament.
  • Monfils entered the event as the world No. 311 on a wildcard and had beaten Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in the first round on his 40th birthday.

Gaël Monfils left the US Open to a roaring Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd, even as Learner Tien delivered the kind of defeat that left no room for argument. The 40-year-old Frenchman lost 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday night in what was his final match at a Grand Slam tournament.

New York, his “second home,” wanted to keep the showman on court a little longer. Spectators stood and shouted his name, giving Monfils one last celebration at a tournament where he produced some of his most memorable moments. His relationship with the city began in 2005, when the 18-year-old made his US Open debut against Novak Djokovic, then still an unknown player. Djokovic won their first meeting in five sets and eventually took 20 victories over the Frenchman.

Monfils also came within touching distance of a breakthrough against Roger Federer in 2014. He led the Swiss player by two sets, held two match points in the fourth set, then lost in the fifth after a three-hour, 20-minute battle. Two years later, Monfils reached the semifinals without dropping a set before Djokovic stopped him again.

It was an absolute honor to play in front of you.

· Gaël MonfilsMonfils addressed the New York crowd after his final Grand Slam match.

The Frenchman had spent the season on a farewell tour and was determined to return to New York for one last night in its famous atmosphere. Tournament organizers granted him a wildcard despite his ranking of 311th. On Tuesday, his birthday, he beat Adolfo Daniel Vallejo and became only the third man aged 40 or older to win a US Open singles match, after Ken Rosewall and Jimmy Connors.

Against Tien, who is 20 years younger, Monfils struggled to turn his chances into openings. He earned eight break-point opportunities but converted none, while the American repeatedly moved him from corner to corner. Tien joked in his post-match interview, “Sorry Gaël for hitting so many drop shots,” prompting a laughing Monfils on his bench. The 13-time singles champion had hoped to remain competitive at 40. In New York, he at least received the farewell he had wanted.

Sorry Gaël for hitting so many drop shots.

· Learner TienTien joked during his post-match interview after defeating Monfils.
About this summary

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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