Another possible goodbye highlights Day 3 U.S. Open men's matches

Gael Monfils. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another possible goodbye highlights Day 3 U.S. Open men's matches

By Alan Rubenstein | Last updated Aug 31, 2026 9:36 PM ET

After Stan Wawrinka played the final Grand Slam match of his career on Monday, Gael Monfils hopes to avoid the same fate as the first round of the U.S. Open concludes on Tuesday. Monfils is playing in one of several matches to watch.

Monfils and Adolfo Daniel Vallejo of Paraguay are scheduled for the first-night match at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Tuesday. The match on Tuesday between Monfils and Vallejo is their first meeting. Vallejo is making his hard-court Grand Slam debut.

In contrast to Vallejo, Monfils is making his 71st Grand Slam appearance. Vallejo advanced to the second round in his Grand Slam main draw debut at the 2026 French Open. Vallejo also lost in the first round of Wimbledon this season.

In his final season on the ATP Tour, Monfils has four wins and nine losses. Monfils lost in the first round at the Australian and French Opens in 2026. Vallejo has 13 wins and 11 losses on the 2026 ATP Tour. Vallejo has defeated Learner Tien and Valentin Vacherot among his impressive 2026 wins.

2026 US Open OOP: Tuesday, September 1, 2026 pic.twitter.com/02p4tvPAE1
— Order Of Play Tennis (@ooptennis) August 30, 2026

Other intriguing men's matches for Tuesday

Top seed Alexander Zverev plays former top-25 player Lorenzo Sonego in the second match at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday night. Zverev has won all six matches against Sonego while losing only two sets. Tuesday is the first time that Sonego and Zverev will play in a Grand Slam match.

Zverev has 46 wins and 13 losses in 2026, with 18 victories and two defeats in Grand Slams. Zverev reached the Semifinals in Australia, won his first Grand Slam at the French Open, and was the runner-up at Wimbledon. Sonego has 11 wins and 14 losses in 2026, with four victories and three defeats in Grand Slams.

Two former Grand Slam semifinalists

Lorenzo Musetti, a semifinalist at 2024 Wimbledon and the 2025 French Open and Arthur Fery, who made an improbable run to the penultimate round at SW19 in 2026, are second on the Grandstand Court on Tuesday. Fery and Musetti are playing for the first time in their careers.

Fery has 14 wins and seven losses in 2026, with six victories and two defeats in Grand Slams. Musetti has 19 wins and 10 losses in 2026, with four wins and one loss in Grand Slams. Musetti is playing in his first 2026 Grand Slam since an Australian Open quarterfinal run.

Alan Rubenstein

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