Gael Monfils will get one last shot at the US Open main draw after the French Tennis Federation confirmed on August 5, 2026 that he has received a wild card for the tournament. For a player who has long made Flushing Meadows one of his most successful stages, it means the 39-year-old is set for an 18th and final appearance in New York.
The news fits the broader arc of Monfils' season, with the Frenchman already having announced that he will retire at the conclusion of 2026. That makes this US Open entry feel less like a routine selection and more like the closing chapter of a career that has produced some of his biggest performances on hard courts in New York City.
A record built across nearly two decades
Monfils first appeared at the US Open in 2005, and the event has repeatedly brought out the best in him. His run to the semifinals in 2016 remains the peak of that relationship, when he lost to Novak Djokovic. Three years later, he went one step shy of another semi-final place, falling in the quarterfinals to Matteo Berrettini in a five-set match.
There was also the memorable 2014 quarterfinal against Roger Federer, when Monfils led by two sets before eventually losing in five. Those matches underline why his final trip back to the tournament matters: he has not only been a long-serving presence, but also one capable of producing serious runs against the very best.
Why the final US Open matters
The wild card is possible because the USTA and the French Tennis Federation have a reciprocal agreement for entries of this kind. In practical terms, that means Monfils does not have to rely on ranking position alone to secure a place in the main draw, and in this case the No. 347 ranking is not the deciding factor.
What matters now is the farewell. Monfils has built a reputation as one of the sport's most watchable performers, but this latest update gives the New York crowd a chance to see him one more time at a tournament where he has enjoyed genuine success. If this really is the end of his US Open story, then it is a fitting one: a final appearance at a venue that has helped define his career.
For more on Monfils' retirement plans, see 39-year-old Gaël Monfils to retire after this season ahead of Montreal opener.
