Gael Monfils honors 'special story' with Bercy after withdrawing from Paris Masters

Gael Monfils is out of the Rolex Paris Masters, just days after having to cut his Vienna campaign short.

Missing the tournament this year is an extra blow for Monfils, whose bond with the tournament has spanned two decades. This is the final edition at the Bercy Arena, before La Defense Arena debuts as host next year in Nanterre.

“Between me and Bercy, it's a special story. I grew up there, dreamed in the stands, made two finals, beat Federer for the first time, and felt an insane energy with the audience,” the Frenchman wrote in a translated Instagram post.

The 38-year-old had been handed a wild card into the ATP Masters 1000 event. The opportunity was reallocated to his countryman Arthur Rinderknech, who advanced past Tomas Machac on Monday when the Czech retired in their second set with an achilles injury.

Monfils debuted in Bercy 20 years ago as a qualifier when the tournament was staged on carpet, winning his inaugural main-draw match over Thomas Enqvist before running into world No. 3 Lleyton Hewitt. He later contested back-to-back finals in 2009-2010, finishing runner-up to Novak Djokovic and Robin Soderling.

“Thank you all and thank you to this legendary venue that has given me so much. Goodbye, Bercy,” said Monfils.

The winner of 25 tour-level matches in 2024, Monfils had pulled out of Vienna with an illness ahead of his second-round match with Lorenzo Musetti.

Eight home favorites feature in this year’s field, led by No. 15 seed Ugo Humbert, 20th-ranked Arthur Fils and incoming Basel champion Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Richard Gasquet, who first appeared at this event as a 17-year-old in 2003, joins Mpetshi Perricard, Rinderknech and Adrian Mannarino among the wild card entrants.