Monfils bows out of Roland Garros in five-set thriller

Gael Monfils rallied from two sets down before losing 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-0 to Hugo Gaston in a late-night first-round match on Sunday.rolandgarros
Monfils exits with 40 Roland Garros victories — tied for the most by a French man in the Open era — after 19 appearances at the tournament.usatoday
Day 3 on Tuesday features top seed Jannik Sinner and defending women’s champion Coco Gauff opening their title campaigns.10sballs

French Open 2026: Monfils Bids Farewell as Roland Garros Turns to Day 3

The 2026 French Open delivered an emotional Sunday at Roland Garros as Gael Monfils played his final match at the tournament he called home for nearly two decades, losing a five-set first-round thriller to fellow Frenchman Hugo Gaston 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-0. The tournament now turns to Day 3 on Tuesday, May 26, with top seeds including world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and defending women’s champion Coco Gauff set to take the court.rolandgarros

Monfils’ Final Act

The 39-year-old Monfils, appearing at Roland Garros for a 19th time, produced one last vintage performance before running out of gas as the clock struck midnight on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Down two sets to love, he roared back to win the third and fourth sets, claiming eight straight games as the 15,000-strong crowd urged him on. But Gaston, 25, took complete control in the decider, winning it 6-0 in a match lasting three hours and 22 minutes.evrimagaci

Peers and legends including Richard Gasquet, Sebastien Grosjean, Paul-Henri Mathieu, and Yannick Noah watched from the stands as Monfils concluded his Roland Garros career with 40 victories, the joint most for a French man in the Open era. The ATP Tour reported that the tournament held a ceremony reuniting Monfils with fellow retired French stars Gasquet, Gilles Simon, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.rolandgarros

Wawrinka’s Goodbye

Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 champion now 41 years old and in his final professional season, had already made his own farewell on the opening day. The Swiss lost 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Jesper de Jong on Sunday, May 24, with his opponent urging fans to applaud the three-time Grand Slam champion after the final point, according to ESPN. The tournament held a tribute ceremony for Wawrinka following his defeat.espn

Day 3 Ahead

Tuesday’s schedule brings the final day of first-round action, with Sinner seeking his maiden Roland Garros title and Gauff beginning her title defense against Taylor Townsend. The doubles draw also commences on Tuesday, adding to a packed day of action at the clay-court Grand Slam.yahoo