Gaël Monfils wins on 40th birthday at US Open

Gaël Monfils reached the US Open second round on Tuesday, marking his 40th birthday with a victory that placed him among the few men to win a singles match at the tournament in their forties. He joined Ken Rosewall, who achieved the feat in 1977, and Jimmy Connors, who did so in 1992. The result also extends Monfils’ New York run only weeks before his planned retirement at the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000.

The Frenchman recovered from a difficult opening set against Paraguay’s Adolfo Vallejo, losing it 6-2 in 38 minutes. He then changed the match with aggressive movement and attacking tennis, striking 37 winners and winning 15 of 19 points when he came forward. Monfils completed the turnaround by taking the fourth set without dropping a game against the 22-year-old, who is 18 years his junior.

Ranked 311th in the world, Monfils will next face American Learner Tien, the tournament’s 14th seed. The veteran finished the match with an ace and celebrated in front of the New York crowd, which sang “Happy Birthday” after his win. His passage to the second round gives him another appearance at the tournament before the final stage of his career.