Learner Tien ends Gaël Monfils’ final Grand Slam run at US Open
Learner Tien beat Gaël Monfils 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in the US Open second round, bringing the 40-year-old Frenchman’s final Grand Slam appearance to a close.
In short
- Learner Tien beat Gaël Monfils 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in the US Open second round, bringing the 40-year-old Frenchman’s final Grand Slam appearance to a close.
American 14th seed Learner Tien defeated Gaël Monfils 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of the US Open on Thursday, ending the French player’s final appearance at a Grand Slam tournament.
Monfils, who turned 40 during the tournament, has said he will retire at the end of the 2026 season. He entered the US Open on a wildcard and beat Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in the first round, becoming the oldest man to win a match at the tournament since Jimmy Connors in 1992.
Tien relied on patient baseline play and extended rallies against Monfils, who produced 29 winners but struggled to convert break opportunities. The 20-year-old advanced to the US Open third round for the first time.
Tournament organisers marked Monfils’ farewell with an on-court presentation and a video montage. Across a 22-year career, he reached two Grand Slam semifinals — at the 2008 French Open and the 2016 US Open — and rose as high as No. 6 in the world rankings.
Monfils said after the match that he had given everything against a difficult opponent and praised the atmosphere inside Louis Armstrong Stadium.
