NEW YORK (AP) — Gael Monfils bid adieu to Grand Slam tennis with a hard-fought loss to Learner Tien in the second round of the U.S. Open on Thursday night.
The 40-year-old Frenchman, who is planning to retire at the end of the year, was knocked out 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 by Tien, who at 20 is half Monfils' age and asked for and received his autograph after beating him in Montreal last month.
“It was an unbelievable atmosphere,” Monfils said. “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.”
Fans at Louis Armstrong Stadium chanted, “Mon-fils! Mon-fils!” and gave him a standing ovation after his final shot went into the net. He saluted the crowd before packing his bag, then watched a montage of his U.S. Open highlights on the video screen, received a commemorative poster from tournament officials and heard his name reverberate around the court one final time in New York.
“It's been a long ride,” Monfils said, calling it his second-best crowd after Roland Garros in Paris. "It’s been an absolute honor for me to play all these years in front of you. I tried my best, tried to perform high-professional tennis but also give you a great show, and you guys give me great love, so I will never forget that.”
Monfils’ final appearance at Flushing Meadows came 21 years since making his debut in 2005, two months before Tien was born across the country in Irvine, California. They had not played at all before facing each other twice over the past 30-some days.
“It was incredible,” Tien said. “I told him when we played in Montreal, ‘I hope we get to play one more time.’ I know we didn’t have that many opportunities left, so I’m super happy it happened here.”
Monfils made some history before bowing out, becoming the oldest man to win a match at the tournament since Jimmy Connors in 1992, who also did so on his 40th birthday. Had he beaten Tien, Monfils would have been the oldest to reach the third round in nearly a half-century, dating to 42-year-old Ken Rosewall in 1977.
He also made a core memory, reaching the mixed doubles semifinals with wife Elina Svitolina. Monfils joked it was the first and last time the couple was playing tournament tennis together.
Monfils is the third player to come out and say this would be his final Grand Slam, after Japan's Kei Nishikori, who lost in qualifying, and Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka, who earned an eleventh-hour wild card and was knocked out in the first round.
“I’m just me, Gael Monfils,” he said. “I think some people might like me, some not. Some people think I’m fun, some not. Some people think that I entertain them, some maybe not. So I’m all right with everything.”
Monfils said he was at peace with the decision to retire and has already signed on with a Swiss company to work in wealth management. With Svitolina still playing, he will not be far from tennis.
“I’ll be around definitely no matter what for Elina a little bit,” Monfils said, “but I will be more a finance guy.”
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Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
