A Birthday Party on Louis Armstrong Stadium
Gael Monfils has never done anything the conventional way, and turning 40 was no exception. While most people mark the milestone with a dinner or a surprise party, the flamboyant Frenchman celebrated his birthday on Tuesday night by winning a Grand Slam match at the US Open — then taking a bow in the middle of the court while thousands of fans serenaded him with "Happy Birthday." [1]
The result — a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 comeback victory over Paraguayan qualifier Adolfo Daniel Vallejo — was as theatrical as the occasion demanded. [1]
Turning Back the Clock
Monfils dropped the opening set before shifting gears entirely, dismantling Vallejo across the next three sets with increasing authority. The turnaround was vintage Monfils: athletic, audacious, and deeply crowd-conscious. [2]
The defining moment came early in the fourth set, when Monfils leaped into the air to smash a forehand winner — a high-risk, high-reward shot that few players would even contemplate. He then raised his hand to his ear and spun it, urging on a crowd that needed no encouragement. [2]
Monfils acknowledged the shot was harder to execute than a conventional forehand, but explained the logic in his own terms: "I'm here to also enjoy myself. There's not many, many times [left], and, you know, it was the right moment, so why not try it?" [2]
A Historic Milestone
The victory placed Monfils in rare company. He is now the oldest man to win a US Open main-draw match since Jimmy Connors — another New York showman — defeated Jaime Oncins on September 2, 1992, the very day Connors also turned 40. [1][2]
The parallel is striking: both players are known for their ability to electrify a crowd, and both chose the US Open as the stage for their most age-defying moments.
Beyond the Connors comparison, the win extended another remarkable streak. According to ESPN Research, the victory gives Monfils 22 consecutive seasons with at least one Grand Slam match win, tying Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer for the longest such streak among men in the Open era. [2]
The Final Chapter
The context surrounding the win makes it all the more poignant. Monfils announced last year that he would retire at the end of the 2026 season, making this US Open — where he reached the semifinals in 2016 — the final major of his career. [1]
He arrived in New York already in celebratory form. Before his singles campaign began, Monfils teamed with his wife, fellow professional Elina Svitolina, in mixed doubles, and the pair reached the semifinals in their first time competing together at the tournament. [2]
Speaking to the crowd on Louis Armstrong Stadium after his singles win, Monfils was characteristically effusive. "To play on my 40th birthday is very special," he said. "The atmosphere [in New York] is always electric — I feel great here. I always try to play great tennis and put on a great show." [1]
He closed with a direct appeal to the fans: "You guys rock — let's keep it up for the second round." [1]
What Comes Next
Monfils' reward for the victory is a second-round meeting with American Learner Tien, the 14th seed. The matchup carries a recent precedent that does not favor the Frenchman: Tien won their only previous head-to-head encounter earlier this year in Montreal, also on hard court. [2]
Before his match, Monfils had set a clear standard for himself. "I hit my 40th birthday the day I play, so this is a big milestone for me, able to play at 40," he said. "I want to do, not good but really good, for where I am now." [2]
By any measure, he delivered on that promise in round one. Whether he can extend his farewell tour deeper into the draw — against a seeded opponent on a surface where he has already lost to Tien this year — is the question New York will be watching closely.