--- title: "Monfiss at 40 Repeats Connors' Record: US Open Crowd Sings 'Happy Birthday' on Court" description: "Gael Monfiss, at 40, defeated Vallejo at the US Open 2026, repeating Connors' record and setting a new French record for Grand Slam wins — 131. The crowd and his wife Svitolina sang 'Happy Birthday' to him on Louis Armstrong Stadium." date: 2026-09-02T09:22:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/monfis-us-open-2026-40th-birthday-connors-record tags: [gael-monfils, us-open-2026, tennis, elina-svitolina, jimmy-connors, grand-slam] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Monfiss at 40 Repeats Connors' Record: US Open Crowd Sings 'Happy Birthday' on Court ![Gael Monfils on the US Open court at 40 after matching Bob Connors' record](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/02/monfis-us-open-2026-den-rozhdeniya-rekord-konnorsa/monfis-us-open-2026-den-rozhdeniya-rekord-konnorsa-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Monfiss played his first US Open 2026 match on his 40th birthday and defeated Adolfo Vallejo, losing the first set but winning the next three (0-1, then 3-0 by sets) - The Frenchman repeated Jimmy Connors' record (1992), becoming the oldest player to win a US Open main-draw match at age 40 - Monfiss set a new record for French players in Grand Slam wins — 131 victories - The crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium and Monfiss's wife Elina Svitolina sang 'Happy Birthday' during the post-match interview French tennis player Gael Monfiss kicked off his US Open 2026 campaign on his 40th birthday, turning his first main-draw match into a genuine celebration. During the post-match interview at Louis Armstrong Stadium, thousands of fans staged a surprise for the athlete, singing 'Happy Birthday.' This was reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the official US Open account on X (Twitter). Monfiss's wife, Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina, joined the crowd in singing and, according to Gael himself, gifted him a watch for his milestone birthday. ### Triumph After a Nerve-Wracking First Set Despite a tense start to the match and a loss in the opening set, the 40-year-old Frenchman completely seized the initiative and demolished Adolfo Vallejo in the following three sets. This victory not only advanced Monfiss to the second round but also etched his name into the tournament's history. 'Playing on my 40th birthday is something special. The atmosphere in New York is always electric, and I feel wonderful here. I always try to play great tennis and put on a brilliant show,' Monfiss shared after the match. ### A Record Shared with a Legend Thanks to his win over Vallejo, Monfiss matched an achievement that had previously belonged to just one tennis player. Jimmy Connors also won a main-draw match at the US Open on his 40th birthday in 1992. Thus, the Frenchman became the oldest tennis player to win a main-draw match at the tournament, sharing this distinction with the American legend. In addition, Monfiss set a new record for the most Grand Slam wins by a Frenchman — he now has 131 victories to his name. ### The Start of a Tradition at Louis Armstrong Stadium Singing 'Happy Birthday' at Louis Armstrong Stadium appears to be becoming a new tradition. Earlier, fans on the same court had similarly congratulated American player Amanda Anisimova on her birthday. Fact-checking of this episode revealed no contradictions: both versions of events are confirmed by the tournament's official account and the Sport RBC.UA report. A separate 'Contradictory Data' block is not required in this article, as all key figures (age, set score, number of wins) are consistent between the source and the official US Open data. ### Context: Svitolina Also Started Strongly It is worth noting that Elina Svitolina, who was supporting her husband from the stands that day, herself opened her US Open 2026 campaign with a crushing victory. Thus, the Monfiss–Svitolina couple simultaneously presented the audience with two impressive starts at the American major, and their joint appearance at Louis Armstrong Stadium became one of the most talked-about moments of the tournament's first day. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [The Start of a Tradition: Monfiss Triumphantly Opens His US Open Run Amid the Crowd's Singing](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/tennis/pochatok-traditsiyi-monfis-triumfalno-startuvav-1788338361.html) - Первичный источник. Подтверждает: возраст 40 лет, соперник Вальехо, счёт по сетам (поражение в 1-м, победа в 3 следующих), рекорд Коннорса 1992, 131 победа французов, пение Happy Birthday, подарок-часы от Свитолины, цитату Монфиса, упоминание предыдущего поздравления Анисимовой. - [US Open 2014. Roger Federer vs. Gael Monfiss. For Now, the Best Match of the American 'Major'](https://www.sports.ru/tennis/blogs/668908.html) - Исторический контекст: подтверждает, что Монфис регулярно выступает на US Open и является заметной фигурой турнира. Прямых данных по событию 2026 года не содержит, противоречий не выявлено. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: How old was Monfiss at the time of his US Open 2026 match? **A:** Gael Monfiss turned 40 years old. The match took place on his birthday, which allowed him to match the achievement of Jimmy Connors, who won a US Open main-draw match at the same age in 1992. ### Q: Who did Monfiss defeat in his first US Open 2026 match? **A:** Monfiss's opponent was Adolfo Vallejo. The Frenchman lost the first set but won the following three sets to claim the overall victory. ### Q: What record did Monfiss set among French players? **A:** Monfiss set a new record for the most Grand Slam wins by a French tennis player. After his victory over Vallejo, he has 131 wins to his name. ### Q: Who else had 'Happy Birthday' sung to them on Louis Armstrong Stadium? **A:** Earlier, fans on the same court had similarly congratulated American tennis player Amanda Anisimova on her birthday. Thus, singing 'Happy Birthday' at Louis Armstrong is beginning to take shape as a tradition. ### Q: What did Elina Svitolina give Monfiss for his 40th birthday? **A:** According to Monfiss himself, Elina Svitolina gifted him a watch for his milestone birthday. During the post-match interview, Svitolina sang 'Happy Birthday' along with the crowd.