Gael Monfils Turns 40 With Historic US Open Comeback Win

What happened

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Gael Monfils marked his 40th birthday with a memorable first-round victory at the 2026 US Open, recovering from a slow start to defeat Paraguay's Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 on Tuesday at Louis Armstrong Stadium. The official US Open report says Monfils lost five consecutive games during the opening set before sharply changing the direction of the match. Once he held serve to begin the second set and earned his first break, the Frenchman took control and never allowed Vallejo to regain the momentum.

The turnaround was emphatic. After conceding the first set, Monfils dropped only three games across the next three sets and closed the contest with a 6-0 fourth set. His movement, defensive reach and ability to turn long rallies into sudden attacks supplied the familiar spectacle that has made him one of the tour's most popular players. The Armstrong crowd added to the occasion by celebrating his birthday after the win.

Why it matters

According to the US Open, Monfils became only the third man aged 40 or older to win a singles match at the tournament in the past 50 years, following Ken Rosewall in 1977 and Jimmy Connors in 1992. ATP Tour coverage also described this as Monfils' 18th and final appearance at the hard-court major. He announced before the season that 2026 would be his last year on tour, giving every remaining match extra weight.

The result was also his 34th career match win at the US Open, the most by a French man in tournament history. Monfils has been a fixture in New York for more than two decades, with his deepest run coming in 2016, when he reached the semifinals without dropping a set. This victory did not merely prolong a farewell; it showed that his distinctive athletic style can still overwhelm a younger opponent on a Grand Slam stage.

Tournament impact

Monfils advances to a second-round meeting with American Learner Tien on Thursday. The matchup carries a generational theme because Tien has spoken about admiring Monfils while growing up. Tien will bring youth, compact baseline play and home support, while Monfils will rely on experience, variation and the crowd connection that was so evident in the opening round.

The physical recovery will be important. Monfils needed four sets after an uneven start, but the final three sets were relatively one-sided, which may help him preserve energy. His ability to serve efficiently and shorten points will likely be central against Tien, particularly if rallies become demanding.

What to watch

The clearest question is whether Monfils can reproduce the level he found after the first set. Against Vallejo, better movement and earlier control of the rallies transformed the match. Tien should offer a sterner test of consistency, so Monfils may not have the same margin for a delayed start. Whatever follows, winning on his 40th birthday has already created a defining scene in the final Grand Slam season of one of tennis's great entertainers.