“Terrible Scheduling”- US Open Under Fire for Gael Monfils Match Blunder

The US Open is a big deal indeed. From being the final Grand Slam of the year to attracting fans from all over the world, the Big Apple tournament is indeed one massive tennis congregation. Naturally, the attending connoisseurs of the sport would want nothing more than to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy the action. But Gael Monfils‘ first match in the event was a bitter disappointment, in more ways than one.

The 38-year-old French star is one of the most emphatic athletes on the tennis court, despite not having a beefy resume like many of his peers. With an electrifying persona and signature charisma, Monfils was quite easily one of the biggest attractions at this year’s US Open. However, as it turned out, fans had to go an extra mile to watch him in his natural habitat.

Sport TV Portugal‘s Jose Morgado took to X on August 26 to share how Gael Monfils’ time at Flushing Meadows came and went without receiving the proper spotlight. The star played against Roman Safiullin in Court 5, not exactly the place where you’d expect to see an ATP veteran. “US Open was probably expecting Monfils to withdraw, because putting him on court 5 was terrible scheduling,” fumed Morgado in his social media update.

Some fans even had to stand on their feet to watch the Day 3 spectacle, while only a handful of attendees were lucky enough to watch the match from their seats. “Absolutely packed — good for the ones who have a seat,” wrote Jose in his post on how assigning Court 5 for Monfils’ match was an absolutely deplorable move by the US Open authorities.

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