Overview
- Monfils rallied from a set down to beat Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 and advance to the US Open second round.
- The victory came on his 40th birthday in Louis Armstrong Stadium, where fans serenaded him and he acknowledged the crowd’s support.
- Monfils revealed during his on-court interview that his wife, Elina Svitolina, gave him a watch as a birthday gift.
- He will face 20-year-old Learner Tien next, their second meeting after Tien beat Monfils in Montreal last month.
- The match adds to Monfils’ farewell-season narrative as the former world No. 6 combines showmanship and resilience and becomes the oldest player to win at Flushing Meadows on his birthday since Jimmy Connors in 1992.