Gael Monfils advanced to the second round of the 2026 US Open after defeating Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. Next up, Monfils takes on Learner Tien at Louis Armstrong Stadium on September 3.
Monfils, who’s retiring once the season concludes, could be playing his final match at Flushing Meadows on Thursday. Tien, No. 14 seed, is heavily favored to defeat the veteran Frenchman. However, Monfils, competing in his 18th US Open, looks at each match as a chance for a new final memory.
With his victory over Vallejo, Monfils recorded his 22nd consecutive season winning at least one major match, which ties him with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer for the longest men’s singles streak in the Open era.
Stats aside, Monfils also celebrated his 40th birthday during his first-round win.
“I hit my 40th birthday the day I play, so this is a big milestone for me, able to play at 40,” Monfils told reporters after playing mixed doubles with his wife, Elina Svitolina. “I want to do, not good but really good, for where I am now.”
Monfils, in fact, put on a show, making sure to show off his signature jump forehand. “I’m here to also enjoy myself,” he explained of going for the more difficult shot. “There’s not many, many times left, and, you know, it was the right moment, so why not try it?”
Gale Monfils Revealed the Special Birthday Gift He Received From His Wife, Elina Svitolina
Despite also competing at the US Open, Svitolina advanced to the third round after defeating Maya Joint, she was in the stands to cheer for Monfils in the first round. The 31-year-old also made time to get her husband, with whom she shares a daughter, Skai, 3, a special birthday gift.
Monfils was grateful for both her presence and the present on his milestone birthday. “I think she’s playing tomorrow, so it’s a great effort for her to stay here and support,” Monfils told the crowd when asked what she got him for his birthday. “And yes, she did. It was an amazing gift. If she allows me to say, she gave me a great watch for my 40th.”
The crowd sand Happy Birthday to Monfils, for which he was grateful. “You guys always make it electric,” he told the crowd in New York. “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.”
Elina Svitolina Shared an Emotional Letter to Daughter Skai to Honor Gael Monfils’ Retirement
Svitolina wrote a heartfelt essay to Skai to encapsulate her feelings on Monfils’ career. The letter began, “A few days from now, something very special is going to happen, right here in Paris. You’re only three years old, so a little too young still to know about it :)
“But I am writing you this letter, with the hope that one day you will read your mom’s thoughts and then you will understand. You will understand why your dad means so much to so many people around the world. You will understand why his career has been such an amazing one… and why his final Roland Garros is such a beautiful moment.”
The Ukrainian star, who won her first title in eight years at the Italian Open in May, called Monfils “the best magician.” She noted “his creativity, his speed, his intelligence, his coordination… and let’s be honest, his cute smile :).”
Monfils revealed that his wife didn’t share the letter with him until after the “Gael and Friends” event on May 21. “The truth is that that day, she read it to me late at night when I came back from the event. We were both very emotional in a way.
“I didn’t know. I was very touched… Very touched. It was funny that it was one of the first times I could see her so… to open up a bit on that. For me, it took me very deep.”
Gael Monfils Shares Personal News Amid Final US Open Run