Monfils bids farewell to Montreal in style

Gael Monfils has once again set an example for the world this past dawn of how to exit a tournament in style. In the year of his retirement, the French player continues to showcase his talents, and this time he pushed Learner Tien to the limit in the second round of the ATP Montreal 2026 only to succumb with a score of 6-3 0-6 6-3 after 2 hours and 2 minutes of play.

Just like in his first-round match, Monfils came out all guns blazing to delight the Canadian crowd, and he did just that. Gael chased down every ball, executed his legendary jump shots (including one to save a match point), and at times, he frustrated a Tien who was overwhelmed in the second set by the arsenal of shots from the French legend. Ultimately, Monfils succumbed in the third set after a tough battle, but there was no better way to say goodbye than with a match like this, where he got the entire stadium on their feet several times.

Monfils, closing his career as he deserves

At this point, Monfils has nothing to prove to anyone, yet he still steps onto the court like that hungry young player who had an entire career ahead of him. Gael is the showman by nature of the circuit, and he will be greatly missed once he retires. However, it is not yet time to say goodbye, as he has several important tournaments left where he will try to leave new highlights.

For now, it is known that he has received a wildcard for the US Open, the last Grand Slam he will compete in during his career, while a great farewell is expected for him at the Paris Masters 1000, where he will receive a tribute worthy of his stature, which is understood much better after matches like last night’s.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Monfils se despide de Montreal a lo grande