Gaël Monfils walked onto Louis Armstrong Stadium on Tuesday night with a birthday to mark and a Grand Slam to play. By the end, the crowd was singing to him.
The Frenchman beat Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 in the first round of the US Open, dropping the opening set before running through the next three. It was his first Grand Slam singles win since the first round of Wimbledon 2025.
The last time a man won a US Open match at 40 was 1992, when Jimmy Connors beat Jaime Oncins in the first round on September 2, his own 40th birthday. Monfils matched him on Tuesday: same age, same tournament, same first-round win, same “Happy Birthday” chorus from the stands.
He looked the part too. Late in the match he launched into a leaping forehand, the kind of shot he has been chasing crowds with for two decades, landed it clean and bowed to Louis Armstrong.
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“You know, I tried it. Lucky I put it in, but somehow, I’m here to also enjoy myself,” he said afterward.
One last season in progress
Monfils has said he plans to retire at the end of the season, which makes this his 18th and very likely his last US Open. His deepest singles run in New York came in 2016, when he reached the semifinals.
He opened this year’s tournament in the mixed doubles, teaming up with his wife, Elina Svitolina, for the first time and reaching the semifinals as a pair.
“That was definitely very special. To play the day of my 40th birthday is special,” Monfils said.
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“I hit my 40th birthday the day I play, so this is a big milestone for me.”
Learner Tien in round two
Round two brings American 14th seed Learner Tien, who beat Monfils in their only prior meeting, at Montreal in August.
“I feel great here. I always try to put on a great show, so let’s keep it up for the second round,” Monfils said.
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