Retiring Gael Monfils bid adieu to Grand Slam competition on Thursday night, then announced his plan to transition from tennis to more of a desk job in the coming months.
After being eliminated in the second round of the U.S. Open in straight sets by American Learner Tien, the Frenchman said he is headed for a career in finance.
“I already signed to work in wealth management in a Swiss company,” Monfils, 40, said in his press conference after the match. “So my next chapter (will be) working in an office and working in finance.”
Monfils already had announced this would be his final year on the ATP Tour. He has 13 career titles and $25.1 million in career earnings. While he never played in a Grand Slam final, he reached a high of No. 6 in the rankings on Nov. 7, 2016.
“I want to thank you all,” Monfils said while addressing the crowd after the match. “It has been a long ride. I came here in 2003 for the juniors for the first time and here I am in 2026, so it’s a helluva long ride. I felt all the love and I can tell you that you guys are my second-best crowd, of course after Paris, but you are up there, so thank you so much.”
Monfils likely didn’t make a hasty departure from New York after his loss at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. His wife, No. 9 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, will be in action Friday against No. 21 Anna Kalinskaya of Russia. The third-round match is scheduled for 8:40 p.m.
–Field Level Media
