Overview
- Monfils, who won on his 40th birthday Tuesday night, rallied from a set down to beat Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 and advance to the U.S. Open second round.
- The victory made him the oldest man to win a U.S. Open main-draw singles match since Jimmy Connors did so at age 40 in 1992.
- Monfils produced an entertaining performance with 37 winners, a leaping forehand winner and a closing ace that drew a standing ovation and a crowd sing-along at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
- He will face No. 14 seed Learner Tien in round two, the 20-year-old American who beat Monfils in their only prior meeting in Montreal last month.
- The result adds another moment to Monfils’s announced final season and to reports that he has a long-career consistency streak, though the claim of 22 consecutive seasons with a Grand Slam match win is currently sourced to a single outlet.