Monfils out of Lyon “for personal reasons”: October 24 exhibition goes on

The tournament published an official announcement on its social channels on Wednesday: “For personal reasons, Gaël Monfils will not be able to take up the wild card granted by the organisers and will not play in the tournament.” Nothing on those reasons. The tournament had been waiting for Monfils, wild card in hand, for one of the last stops of his career.

The October 24 exhibition is confirmed

“We fully respect his decision and send him our full support. The show goes on: the October 24 exhibition is confirmed, with Lucas Pouille joining Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon on court at LDLC Arena,” the tournament wrote. Monfils had been due to meet his fellow Mousquetaires there, alongside Tsonga, the tournament organiser. The last of the four still playing has just joined the others in retirement.

First tournament hit by the retirement

Since October 5, Monfils, 40, has been on the ITIA’s list of retired players, the anti-doping body of tennis. On Wednesday morning, it confirmed his retirement: officially retired, the Frenchman can no longer play ATP events. The player himself has not spoken; his last match remains the US Open, in early September. The Lyon withdrawal is the first consequence on an actual draw.

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Grand Prix, a first edition run by tournament director Thierry Ascione, plays from October 18 to 25 at the LDLC Arena in Décines, and loses its headliner four days before its first match. The tournament has not said whether the freed wild card will go to another player. As for the Rolex Paris Masters (October 31-November 8), where the Frenchman wanted to finish, José Morgado, on X and picked up by We Love Tennis, had already counted him out.