Gaël Monfils Wins US Open Match on His 40th Birthday with Historic First-Round Victory

A Milestone Birthday in New York

Monfils stated that his ultimate career ambition was to compete at the elite level until his 40th birthday. Tournament organizers in New York embraced the milestone by awarding the veteran Frenchman a wildcard entry and scheduling him for a marquee night session on Louis-Armstrong Stadium. While persistent rain disrupted matches on outside courts, the stadium crowd focused entirely on the court as the veteran tennis star worked his way into the fixture.

The emotional weight of potentially contesting the final Grand Slam match of his career weighed heavily during the opening games, according to tournament reporting. Monfils appeared visibly tight early on, dropping the first set 6–2 to the 60th-ranked Vallejo. However, the momentum shifted completely in the second set as the Frenchman unlocked his trademark athleticism, striking 37 winners and energizing the night crowd with a flurry of vintage shot-making.

Rare Company in Grand Slam History

By closing out the match with a dominant 6–0 fourth set, Monfils secured a rare historical milestone. According to tournament statistics, he became only the third player in his forties to win a main-draw match at the US Open over the past half-century. He joins an exclusive club that includes Jimmy Connors, who famously won on his 40th birthday in 1992, alongside Ken Rosewall, Pancho Gonzales, and Torben Ulrich.

Vallejo struggled to counter the Frenchman’s court coverage as the match wore on, ultimately fading mentally under the pressure of the partisan New York crowd. Despite saving two break points in the third set, Monfils maintained control to seal his first victory at a major tournament since defeating Ugo Humbert at Wimbledon the previous year.

Next Challenge Against Learner Tien

With the opening hurdle cleared, Monfils advances to a high-profile second-round encounter against 14th-seeded American rising star Learner Tien. The two players recently faced off at the tournament in Montreal, where Tien secured a straight-sets victory.

Monfils remains the last French player to reach the US Open semifinals (2016) and quarterfinals (2019), maintaining a strong affinity with the American crowd. He will return to the court to face Tien in the upcoming round as the tournament schedule permits.