"I'm not as strong in many things," reflects Monfils after his first-round exit at the US Open

Gaël Monfils put up a strong fight from Tuesday night into Wednesday but ultimately fell to Roman Safiullin. After a five-set match, the Frenchman, who will turn 39 in a few days, was defeated by the Russian (6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4).

In the post-match press conference, Monfils was understandably disappointed but remained philosophical, particularly due to his age, which he feels is starting to work against him (his birthday is on September 1st).

"It was a good match. Too bad I couldn't pull off the win. Great atmosphere, as always. These are always special matches, very electric. It's just that I'm not as strong. At this stage of my career, these are tough first-round matches for me.

I'm not as strong in many areas, so it's really complicated. Once I'm on the court, I give it my all. But it's become difficult because I'm not playing as well. My average level isn't good. It's just gotten harder, plain and simple.

I've been pretty worn out for many years now. I had a lot of success early in the year, but it's been a year and a half since things got much tougher for me. I'm already pretty happy when I manage to reach a decent average level of play, let's say.

But now, my average level has really dropped. My last goal is to play until I'm 40. I hope I'll get into tournaments based on my ranking; otherwise, I'll ask for a wild card like Caro (Garcia).

I truly feel capable of playing until 40. It's not too far off (in 2026). But above all, I want to be competitive. I'll do everything I can to make that happen. There aren't many athletes who perform at a good level at 40.

First, I'd like to do better than on this tour, but I'd like to be one of those who performed decently until 40. After that, you have to find motivation, too. Now, I'm going home—it's back-to-school season, and you get back to a certain comfort.

There are also friends who kind of pull you back; I won't name names! They call you, tell you that playing until 40 involves sacrifices. So when you're at home, it's a different story. But right now, after the match, thinking only about tennis, I want to go for it," Monfils told L'Équipe.