French tennis fans have been dealt a blow after Gael Monfils has pulled out of next week’s French Open due to illness.
The world No.14 has been forced to withdraw from the event due to a viral illness. According to Monfils’ agent the player has been ‘weakened and hospitalized’ in recent days due to the virus. The French No.2 hasn’t played a match on the tour since his first round loss to Tomas Bellucci at the Rome Masters.
.@Gael_Monfils withdraws from #RG16 because of a bad virus. Get well soon and see you for #RG17 Gaël! pic.twitter.com/OSm7PCFHIK
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) 20 May 2016
It is only the second time in his career that Monfils has been forced to withdraw from his home grand slam (the other being 2012). This season the 29-year-old has already reached the finals in the Rotterdam Open and the Monte Carlo Masters. He currently has a win-loss record of 21-8 on the tour.
Monfils has enjoyed strong results throughout his career at the French Open. In 2008 he achieved his best performance at a major event by reaching the semifinals. The Frenchman has also reached the quarterfinals at the tournament on three other occasions (2009, 2011 and 2014).
It will be the first time that Monfils has missed a major tournament since the 2013 Wimbledon championships. The world No.14 is the second top player to withdraw from the tournament in as many days. Yesterday, Roger Federer confirmed his absence due to a back injury, ending his run of 65 consecutive grand slam appearances.
