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Gael Monfils beat Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 on his 40th birthday to extend his final Grand Slam campaign, becoming the oldest man to win a US Open match since Jimmy Connors in 1992. Fifth seed Flavio Cobolli came from two sets down to beat Francisco Comesana in four hours and 12 minutes. Rain restricted play to the two roofed stadiums for much of the day, and five first-round matches were postponed.
New York, United States: Gael Monfils stopped in the middle of a match he was winning, turned to the crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium, and bowed.
He had just leapt into the air to hit a forehand winner — a shot almost nobody would attempt in that situation, and precisely the shot Monfils has spent two decades attempting. The crowd sang him happy birthday. He said afterwards it was more difficult than simply hitting the ball normally, but that it brought more joy, and he was there to enjoy himself.
Forty, and a Leaping Forehand
He lost the first set 6-2 and won 18 of the next 21 games.
It is his 71st Grand Slam appearance and, he has said, the last of them. He is retiring at the end of the season, having gone into this week with four wins and nine defeats in 2026 and first-round exits at both the Australian and French Opens. He reached the semi-finals here in 2016.
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The win makes him the oldest man to win a US Open match since Connors beat Jaime Oncins on 2 September 1992, when Connors had also just turned 40. Monfils began this tournament in the mixed doubles alongside his wife Elina Svitolina, reaching the semi-finals in their first competition together.
Cobolli Changes His Clothes
Flavio Cobolli, the fifth seed and this year’s French Open runner-up, arrived at Louis Armstrong 0-9 in his career at majors when trailing by two sets. Francisco Comesana took the first 6-3 and the second 6-2.
Cobolli went off at the break and changed his entire kit. He said afterwards that he decided to change everything, and that it worked. He won 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to complete his first two-set comeback in four hours and 12 minutes — the first top-five seed to recover from two sets down in a US Open first round since David Nalbandian against Michael Berrer in 2006.
Given that Novak Djokovic and Arthur Fils have already gone from a draw missing the injured Jannik Sinner, it mattered rather more than an opening-round scare usually does.
Fritz, Musetti and the Last Teenager
Taylor Fritz needed 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 against his young compatriot Darwin Blanch on Arthur Ashe. With Blanch’s exit, 19-year-old 12th seed Rafael Jodar is the only teenager left in the men’s draw — and Jodar had not played by the end of the day.
Lorenzo Musetti beat Arthur Fery 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 to end the run of the Briton who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals this summer. Francisco Cerundolo came through in straight sets against Filip Misolic, and Jan-Lennard Struff did the same against Camilo Ugo Carabelli.
What the Rain Took
Showers arrived on Monday night and never properly left. Play on every outside court was held until well past noon, began outdoors only in mid-afternoon, and was driven back inside when the rain returned in the evening. Forecasters had warned of flash flooding and hail across the night session.
Five men’s matches went unplayed and move to Wednesday: Marcos Giron against Ignacio Buse, Andrea Guerrieri against sixth seed Alex de Minaur, Jodar’s opener, Fabian Marozsan against Michael Zheng and Jan Choinski against Botic van de Zandschulp. Top seed Alexander Zverev’s match with Lorenzo Sonego, scheduled second on Ashe at night, had not produced a result by the close of the day.
The first round, which should have finished on Tuesday, will now run into a fourth day.
First-round results — US Open, men’s singles, day three
[5] F. Cobolli d. F. Comesana 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
[9] T. Fritz d. D. Blanch 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
[13] L. Musetti d. A. Fery 6-3, 6-3, 7-5
[24] F. Cerundolo d. F. Misolic 6-4, 6-3, 7-5
G. Monfils d. A. D. Vallejo 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0
J.-L. Struff d. C. Ugo Carabelli
Postponed to Wednesday: Giron v [32] Buse · Guerrieri v [6] de Minaur · [12] Jodar’s opener · Marozsan v Zheng · Choinski v van de Zandschulp
