Gael Monfils celebrated his 40th birthday with a milestone win in the first round of the U.S. Open on Tuesday in New York.
The Frenchman downed Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 to become the first player to win a U.S. Open match at age 40 or older since 1992.
The last player to do so was Jimmy Connors, also on his 40th birthday. Connors, who made a memorable run to the U.S. Open semifinals in 1991, fell in the second round the following year.
Stan Wawrinka, 41, fell in his first-round match on Monday in the final match of his Grand Slam career. He missed the U.S. Open last year.
The Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to Monfils after his victory.
“That was definitely very special, to play on the day of my 40th birthday,” Monfils told the fans post-match. “You guys always make it electric. The atmosphere is unbelievable. I feel great here. I always try to put on a great show, so let’s keep it up for the second round.”
Next up for Monfils is a matchup with 14th-seeded Learner Tien, who is half Monfils’ age. The pair have met just once, a three-set victory by Tien at Montreal in early August.
–Field Level Media
