Arthur Gea has reacted after learning he will not receive a US Open wildcard despite winning his first ATP Tour title and climbing the rankings. The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has confirmed that Gael Monfils, the retiring former world No. 6 now ranked 347th, will take the reciprocal wildcard for a French player in the men's singles draw at Flushing Meadows.
Gea's Rapid Rise
The 21-year-old Gea won his maiden title in Los Cabos last week, beating world No. 20 Francisco Cerundolo in the quarter-finals and reigning champion Denis Shapovalov in the final. That run lifted him 45 places to a career-high world No. 82, but the US Open entry deadline had already passed when he was ranked outside the top 130.
Gea shared his disappointment on Instagram, writing: "It's a shame but we'll go through the qualifications to come out stronger…" He also posted a graphic noting that despite his ranking, he will have to play qualifying in New York.
Monfils' Farewell Tour
Monfils, 39, is set to retire at the end of the season. He lost in the first round of the Australian Open to qualifier Dane Sweeney, then received a wildcard for the French Open, where he fell to Hugo Gaston in five sets. He has also been given wildcards for the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open, and the FFT has put him forward for the US Open spot.
Monfils reached the US Open semi-finals 10 years ago and remains a crowd favourite, making the decision understandable. However, Gea, who had won only three ATP Tour matches before Los Cabos, now faces the qualifiers despite his breakthrough.
