“Well, I know that I will play next year, whatever happens,” said the 38-year-old French icon, Gael Monfils, earlier this year. With the results not going his way and injuries taking a toll on his body, there were widespread rumors that the ongoing season would be the last of his career. Indeed, Monfils gave everything to tennis and put his best foot forward every time he stepped onto the court. Recently, Monfils took to social media to quash the retirement rumors and make an important announcement about his future in the sport.

Yesterday, Monfils bowed out of the US Open after losing in the first-round clash against Roman Safiullin. Despite age not being on his side, Monfils put on a gritty show to stretch the encounter to five sets before going down fighting. Subsequently, he took to his official Instagram handle and announced that he was going nowhere.

Thanking the fans for the immense support at the tournament, Gael Monfils wrote, “New York, you were incredible. The American swing wasn’t what I hoped for—no wins, confidence took a hit… but so many new experiences. At @usopen, the energy was unreal. Your support in the stands, your messages, your smiles—you carried me, even in defeat.”

Further, he added, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Not an easy stretch. Results haven’t gone my way and the confidence isn’t there yet. But I still believe. I’ll keep putting in the work to climb back, find my rhythm, and rebuild that confidence step by step. Next stop: the Asian swing. Back to work with determination and drive. Thank you for being with me—it means the world.”

With this, Monfils has all but confirmed that he would be seen in some big tournaments after the US Open, like the Asian Swing. Before his marathon first-round encounter at the US Open, Monfils also played mixed doubles with Naomi Osaka at the US Open last week. The latter was all praise for a legend in the form of Monfils, who reached the 2016 US Open semifinal, for the service that he has given to the sport.

Naomi Osaka can’t stop praising Gael Monfils

Osaka and Monfils teamed up and received an entry into the US Open mixed doubles event as a wildcard. It was one of the most experienced pairs out there, but the two went down fighting against the pair of Lorenzo Musetti and Caty McNally. Despite the defeat, Osaka was thrilled to play with Monfils, a player whom she has held in high regard.

During an interview, Osaka said this about Gael Monfils: “Yeah, that’s my GOAT right there. He’s super kind. He’s exactly how I would think of when I see him just constantly telling me, like, ‘Good point,’ or to keep going. Super adorable. We were talking about our kids. I was joking that we’re Team Parents because we both have daughters. He was saying they should go on a play date, which I think was super cute.”

While Monfils bowed out of the US Open, Osaka is still going strong. She will face the local star Hailey Baptiste in the second round tomorrow. The match can be followed on EssentiallySports’ Live Blog.