Home / Sports / Hijikata Stuns Monfils in Cincinnati Open Thriller
Hijikata Stuns Monfils in Cincinnati Open Thriller
15 Aug
Summary
- Rinky Hijikata secured his first hard court ATP win over Gael Monfils.
- Gael Monfils played his final Cincinnati Open, retiring end of 2026.
- Top seeds Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz withdrew due to injuries.
At the Cincinnati Open, Australian Rinky Hijikata secured a significant comeback victory against Gael Monfils, marking his first ATP win on hard courts. The 25-year-old Hijikata rallied to win 2-6, 7-6, 6-3, advancing to face Luciano Darderi.
This marked Gael Monfils' final appearance at the Cincinnati Open. The 39-year-old Frenchman, who plans to retire at the end of 2026, received a standing ovation after his match, acknowledging his storied career which included a quarterfinal appearance in 2011 and an upset over Carlos Alcaraz in 2024.
Other notable matches saw American Katie Volynets fall to Britain's Katie Boulter, and Jack Draper lose to Martín Landaluce. Cameron Norrie advanced to face top seed Alexander Zverev, while Taylor Townsend secured a win to meet Elena Rybakina. The tournament's landscape was altered by the withdrawals of top-ranked Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz due to injuries.
