Tennis is generally perceived as a reserved game full of tradition and conservatism.

The truth is tennis has come a long way from its country club roots, and that's never on display more than at the U.S. Open.

At the final Grand Slam of the year, players wear brightly colored clothes and the audience is a little rowdier than the other majors.

It's the perfect stage for someone like world No. 12 Gael Monfils, who plays with a unique sense of flair and personality. Thus far he's put his full set of talents and theatrics on display in Queens.

He started off the tournament by running into -- and destroying -- a clock.

Time means nothing to @iamgaelmonfils. #usopen #tennis #atp #monfils #gaelmonfils #espntennis #espn

A video posted by ESPN Tennis (@espntennis) on

The Frenchman also decided to bust out a between-the-legs volley for no apparent reason.

And in general he's just been running around like a madman throughout his matches.

He's also displayed athleticism that's not usually seen on a tennis court.

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Gael Monfils has been quite entertaining at the U.S. Open. Getty Images

Although not the most orthodox of tactics, whatever Monifls is doing is definitely working. He's cruised through the first two rounds of the Open without dropping a set.

We'll see if he can continue his stellar tournament (in terms of both success and entertainment value) in his third round match versus Spain's Nicolas Almagro on Friday.