Can Gael Monfils match Jimmy Connors' 40th birthday present?

With 39-year-old Novak Djokovic already having exited the tournament, losing in a shocking first-round upset to Argentine Mariano Navone on Sunday, another seasoned veteran, Gael Monfils, celebrating his 40th birthday Tuesday, is set to play his first-round match at 7 p.m. against 22-year-old Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, of Paraguay, in Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Monfils, the Frenchman, is playing his 18th and final U.S. Open, after announcing his intention to retire at the end of the year. Should he win Tuesday, he’d become the oldest man to win a U.S. Open match since Jimmy Connors – on his 40th birthday – beat Brazilian Jaime Oncins in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, on Sept. 2, 1992.

Monfils, currently ranked No. 311 in the world, has never won a major – his best finishes were semifinals appearances in the 2008 French and 2016 U.S. Opens – but he has won 13 ATP titles and has 587 victories on the tour (and 359 losses). His highest ever ranking was No. 6 in November 2016.

Vallejo, whose career record as an ATP pro is 20-15 (13-11 in 2026), is ranked No. 60.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.