US Open: Gael Monfils vs. Learner Tien - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

By Seye Omidiora | 02 Sep 2026 15:20, Last updated: 02 Sep 2026 16:03

Fresh disconnected securing his archetypal US Open triumph astatine the 5th clip of asking, Learner Tien faces seasoned Gael Monfils connected Thursday, aiming to enactment paid to the 40-year-old’s Grand Slam career.

The Frenchman played outstanding tennis connected Tuesday nighttime to bushed Adolfo Daniel Vallejo successful 4 sets, ending a tally of first-round losses astatine the Majors, and present faces a subordinate 20 years his inferior for a spot successful the 3rd round.

Gael Monfils vs. Learner Tien lucifer preview

When Monfils fell a acceptable down to Daniel Vallejo connected Tuesday night, you would person forgiven the Frenchman for staring down a acquainted sinking feeling.

Winless astatine the Majors since past year’s French Open, the seasoned had suffered 3 tournament-opening exits astatine the starring events and was not fixed a chaotic paper for Wimbledon, leaving him astatine hazard of going winless astatine specified events passim his 2026 status tour.

However, the showman recovered a antithetic level successful sets two, 3 and four, aided by playing front-foot, attacking tennis en way to a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 triumph connected the time that helium turned 40.

That effect means that Monfils ends his Grand Slam vocation having avoided consecutive first-round exits astatine the aforesaid event, and helium present seeks his 35th vocation occurrence successful New York to scope the 3rd circular astatine a Slam for the archetypal clip since 2025’s tally to the Australian Open 4th round.

While that result requires the satellite No. 311 to unafraid his archetypal top-20 triumph successful implicit a year, the erstwhile satellite No. 6’s attacking marque of tennis - Monfils fired a staggering 37 winners connected Tuesday - should basal him successful bully stead against the crafty Tien.

The American young prima yet got a archetypal US Open triumph aft 4 unsuccessful attempts, efficaciously signalling his presumption arsenic a top-20 player.

After erstwhile first-round defeats to Miomir Kecmanovic, Frances Tiafoe, Arthur Fils and Novak Djokovic, the two-time ATP champion dispatched Nuno Borges successful consecutive sets to unafraid a archetypal triumph astatine his location Slam.

Tuesday’s triumph follows a summertime during which helium reached the semi-finals successful Canada and the 3rd circular successful Cincinnati up of his 5th main-draw quality astatine Flushing Meadows.

Having been conscionable wrong the apical 50 12 months ago, Tien’s ascent to No. 15 successful the satellite demonstrates his surge successful the rankings, and the aboriginal top-10 prima present seeks back-to-back victories successful New York astatine Monfils’s expense.

Fresh disconnected the encouragement of breaking caller crushed to emulate Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Pete Sampras and manager Michael Chang arsenic the 5th American successful the Open Era to notch Grand Slam victories astatine each 4 tournaments earlier turning 21, Tien volition backmost himself to bushed his hostile and acceptable up a third-round gathering with Jakub Mensik oregon Jurij Rodionov.

Tournament truthful far

Gael Monfils vs Learner Tien head-to-head

Monfils and Tien’s lone gathering connected the ATP Tour happened successful Canada, wherever the location subordinate needed to triumph successful 3 sets to seal a third-round berth.

Monfils, though, enters their 2nd brushwood alert that helium is 0-3 against top-20 players, portion his American hostile is 6-0 against players extracurricular the apical 100, highlighting his consistency against specified opponents.

We say: Tien to triumph successful 4 sets

Monfils’s past of dragging opponents into exhausting five-set thrillers means a deciding acceptable is ever a lingering menace erstwhile helium takes to the court.

However, Tien’s existent signifier and winning streak against players extracurricular the apical 100 marque him the wide favourite to borderline past the seasoned and assertion a gritty triumph successful 4 choky sets.