Buenos Aires, Feb 4 (NA) – French tennis player Gaël Monfils (165th in the ATP ranking) confirmed this Wednesday his withdrawal from the Argentina Open 2026, adding another high-profile absence to the event. This comes after the news that Italian player Lorenzo Musetti (5th) will also not be participating in the tournament to be held at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club. According to the Argentine News Agency, the French athlete shared a video on social media announcing that he will not be able to play at the ATP in Buenos Aires due to a 'stomach virus'. 'Hello guys. I'm very sorry, but I have to announce that I can't play in Buenos Aires this year. I came back home after Australia and I got sick. My doctor told me I need more weeks to recover,' informed the former world number six. In this way, the Frenchman joins the list of withdrawals alongside Lorenzo Musetti, who suffered a right hamstring tear that forced him to retire from his match against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarterfinals. Meanwhile, fans were looking forward to seeing the experienced 39-year-old player, but now they will have to pin their hopes on the local competitors: Francisco Cerúndolo (19th), Sebastián Báez (35th), and Tomás Etcheverry (54th). Nevertheless, the sporting event, held continuously since 2001, will feature Italian players Luciano Darderi (23rd) and Matteo Berrettini (58th), among other contenders who will seek to claim the title at the tournament to be held from February 7 to 15.
