Gael Monfils says what he thought of Naomi Osaka as a doubles partner after their loss at the US Open

Follow us on Google Discover

Gael Monfils and Naomi Osaka were among the players to lose early in the US Open mixed doubles, falling to Lorenzo Musetti and Caty McNally.

Osaka needs a good US Open singles tournament, but she got her Grand Slam off to a losing start in the mixed doubles.

The former WTA number one partnered with ATP icon Monfils, with the duo losing 5-3, 4-2 to McNally and Musetti.

Arthur Ashe Stadium played host to the US Open first round encounter, which at one hour and eight minutes represents the longest match at the entire event so far.

Crowd favourites Monfils and Osaka hit just seven winners as their opponents tallied 20 to reach the quarterfinals.

What Gael Monfils thinks of Naomi Osaka as a doubles partner after US Open exit

Despite their early exit, both Monfils and Osaka clearly enjoyed their entire experience at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The former wrote on Instagram: “What a vibe today. Had the chance to share the court with Naomi Osaka in mixed doubles at the US Open.

READ MORE: Naomi Osaka faces even more criticism after ‘one of the worst moments’ former Grand Slam champion has seen in years

“Such a great experience with an incredible champion – not only amazing on the court but also super kind and fun. Huge shoutout to the crowd for the crazy energy. I really had a blast.”

And the latter was quick to respond, with WTA star Osaka commenting: “My GOAT thank you for playing with me.”

Naomi Osaka and Gael Monfils among high-profile US Open mixed doubles early exits

Osaka and Monfils certainly put up a fight against their opening opponents, but a dream win wasn’t meant to be.

However, they certainly weren’t the only big names to suffer an early exit in the newly revamped tournament.

The US Open mixed doubles pairings were ‘mostly organic’, with many partnerships causing plenty of excitement.

But American pair Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka lost their opener to Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev, while compatriots Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe fell to Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud.

Also losing in round one were Serbian duo Novak Djokovic and Olga Danilovic, along with Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu.

Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina joined them, with that pairing having won the Eisenhower Cup on the eve of Indian Wells earlier this season.