Gael Monfils has always played tennis on his own terms. Even as the years accumulated and the game around him became younger, faster, and increasingly unforgiving, he retained the athleticism, improvisation, and sense of theater that made him one of the sport’s most distinctive figures. The other day in New York, as he turned 40, those qualities were still there. What was different was the context: It was no longer simply another Monfils performance. It was part of a farewell.
In his 18th and final United States Open appearance, Monfils recovered from a disastrous first set to defeat Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. He hit 37 winners, repeatedly produced the spectacular jumping shots that have long been his trademark, and, after falling behind early, took control of the match. The victory was his 34th at Flushing Meadows, the most by a Frenchman, and extended his last Grand Slam campaign by at least another match.
There was something particularly fitting about the date. Monfils became only the third man aged 40 or older in the past half-century to win a US Open singles match, joining Ken Rosewall and Jimmy Connors. The Connors parallel is even more striking: Connors also won a first-round match against a South American on his 40th birthday in 1992, defeating Brazil’s Jaime Oncins. Monfils was therefore not merely adding another chapter to his unusually long career; he was, almost three decades later, reproducing one of the tournament’s more enduring examples of longevity.
To be sure, the significance of the night went beyond the record. Monfils announced last year that 2026 would be his final season, bringing an end to a professional career that began in 2004. En route, he claimed 13 ATP titles and reached a peak ranking of world number six. He never won a Grand Slam title, although he came within two victories of one at the 2016 US Open, when he reached the semifinals without dropping a set before losing to Novak Djokovic. His absence from the list of major champions is part of what makes his career interesting: Trophies do not define him, not when he invariably gives awestruck crowds a singular experience.
Those at the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd the other day certainly basked in Monfils’ gravitas. After the match, the fans sang “Happy Birthday,” with his wife, Elina Svitolina, joining in the emotional celebration. Today, he will see action against American Learner Tien, who has acknowledged growing up idolizing him. Which is perhaps the most appropriate measure of his place in tennis. His legacy will not rest only on rankings, titles, or even the Grand Slam trophy that eluded him. It will also be found in the players and spectators who appreciated the rare sight of an elite athlete who refused to separate competition from joy. And even with retirement approaching, he is still finding ways to make tennis, well, fun.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.