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+1
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+1
Day 3 on Tuesday features top seed Jannik Sinner and defending women's champion Coco Gauff opening their title campaigns.10sballs+1

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+3

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+2

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+1

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+1

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.sports.yahoo+3

Sources (26)