Gael Monfils’ Grand Slam career ends at the 2026 US Open after a second-round loss to American Learner Tien, marking the retirement-bound Frenchman’s final appearance at the season’s final major.
Gael Monfils’ remarkable Grand Slam career came to an end at the 2026 US Open on Friday as the French veteran was defeated by American youngster Learner Tien 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in the second round.
The 40-year-old Monfils, who has announced that he will retire from professional tennis at the end of this season, brought an emotional chapter of his career to a close at Flushing Meadows. The Paris native has enjoyed a long and memorable relationship with the US Open, where he recorded some of the biggest moments of his Grand Slam journey.
Monfils finished his professional career at the US Open with an impressive 33-17 record, having made 18 main-draw appearances at the tournament. Across those appearances, he compiled a 34-18 match record at the season’s final Grand Slam, highlighting his remarkable longevity at the highest level of the sport.
His US Open journey began in 2005, when he suffered a five-set first-round defeat against Novak Djokovic. More than a decade later, Monfils produced his best run in New York in 2016, reaching the semi-finals before again falling to Djokovic. That performance matched his career-best Grand Slam result.
Monfils first reached a Grand Slam semi-final in 2008 at Roland Garros, his home major in Paris. His 2016 season was particularly significant, as he climbed to a career-high No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The Frenchman also established himself as one of the most entertaining and athletic players of his generation while collecting 13 ATP Tour titles.
Following his defeat to Tien, Monfils was honoured during an on-court ceremony celebrating his career and contribution to tennis. USTA CEO Craig Tiley and US Open tournament director Eric Butorac presented him with a special framed picture as part of the tribute.
Monfils also spoke about his plans beyond professional tennis. He revealed that he has already signed an agreement to work in wealth management for a Swiss company, marking a major change from life on the tennis circuit.
“I have a new chapter coming next year. I will work in finance,” Monfils said. “I already signed to work in wealth management in a Swiss company. So my next chapter [is] working in office and working in finance.”
His comments left open the possibility that New York could remain part of his future, albeit in a very different setting, with Monfils joking about potentially returning to the city and experiencing life on Wall Street.
For Tien, the victory continued an outstanding breakthrough season. The 20-year-old American had already defeated Monfils in Montreal last month and has continued to establish himself as one of the rising players on the ATP Tour.
Tien’s breakthrough campaign includes a quarter-final appearance at the Australian Open and a semi-final run at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Canada during the summer. His progress at the 2026 US Open has now taken him into the third round, his deepest run at the tournament in New York.
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Tien’s next challenge will be against Czech No. 17 seed Jakub Mensik, as the young American looks to continue his impressive US Open campaign.
For Monfils, however, the defeat signals the end of his Grand Slam career at the tournament where he created some of his most memorable moments. With retirement approaching at the end of the season, the US Open provided an emotional farewell to one of France’s most celebrated tennis stars.
