Fans inside Louis Armstrong Stadium did not want Gael Monfils’ U.S. Open run to end.

But that it did Thursday night in the second round against 14th-seeded American Learner Tien, who took a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 win over the Frenchman in front of people jam-packed into the stands who chanted ”MON-FILS!” every chance they had.

Despite having the crowd in his corner, Monfils’ signature explosiveness was kept at bay by Tien.

Those who filled the seats, however, exploded with affection for Monfils as he inches closer to retirement at the end of this season.

“Good evening, New York. I want to thank you all,” he said during his on-court interview. “It’s been a long ride. I came here in 2003 for Juniors for the first time, and here I am in 2026. I’ve had a long ride. Thank you very much. I felt all the love. I can tell you, you guys are my second-best crowd, of course after Paris. You’re up there, so thank you so much. I just want to tell you it’s been an absolute honor for me to play all this year in front of you.

“You guys give me great love. I will never forget that. Thank you for everything. Thank you, New York.”

At the conclusion of the match, the jumbotron displayed a video montage of all Monfils’ memorable moments at the U.S. Open.

USTA CEO Craig Tiley and tournament director Eric Butorac then presented Monfils with a framed poster of himself.

Having participated in the tournament 18 times since 2005, Monfils’ 34 career match victories at the U.S. Open are the most by a French player in New York. His best finish came in 2016, when he reached the semifinals and lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets.

The crowd certainly met the moment, rising to its feet to applaud Monfils as he walked off the court in Flushing for the last time.

“It was unbelievable atmosphere,” Monfils said. “Amazing energy on the court. It was really nice. You always want to give a little bit more, you know, you want to stay a little bit more. I gave my absolute all, even I think I went over, but Learner was a really tough one tonight. Really big credit to him. He really held his focus and with the atmosphere and everything, so big congrats to him.”

Monfils is expected to play his last match at the Paris Masters in late October/early November.

While Monfils never won a Grand Slam, the 40-year-old endeared himself to the tennis world with his sincerity, ability to feed off the crowd and put on an entertaining show.

Asked what the plan is after tennis, Monfils revealed that he already has a new job waiting.

“So far, to be honest, I have a new chapter coming next year. I will work in finance,” he said. “You know, I already signed to work in wealth management in a Swiss company. So my next chapter working in office and working in finance. I will always have a look on tennis because I love the sport.”