French tennis player Gaël Monfils confirmed he will not participate in the Argentina Open 2026 due to a stomach virus contracted after the Australian Open. This absence adds to that of Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who was injured in the same tournament. The event in Buenos Aires, from February 7 to 15, now focuses more on Argentine players like Francisco Cerúndolo.
The Argentina Open 2026, scheduled from February 7 to 15 at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, suffered another blow with Gaël Monfils' withdrawal. The 39-year-old Frenchman, currently ranked 165 in the ATP and a former world No. 6, announced his retirement via a video on social media. "Hi guys, I'm really sorry, I have to announce that I can't play in Buenos Aires this year. I came home after Australia and got sick. As you can hear and see, I'm really bad," Monfils said, adding that his doctor recommended more weeks of recovery for the stomach virus.
The tournament organizers expressed regret: "Due to a stomach virus, Gaël Monfils will not be present at this edition of the IEB+ Argentina Open. We are very sad not to have you in Buenos Aires this year. We wish you a speedy recovery and hope to see you soon visiting our tournament."
This is the second major absence. Days earlier, it was confirmed that Lorenzo Musetti, world No. 5, will not play due to a tear in his right biceps femoris suffered in the Australian Open quarterfinals against Novak Djokovic. The Italian explained in a video: "You may have seen the injury at the Australian Open. I underwent specific tests and unfortunately the results are not good. I decided to take some time to recover well. It's very sad to say, but I will not participate in the Buenos Aires tournament."
The organizers also addressed fans: "Lorenzo Musetti announced that he will not be present at this edition of the IEB+ Argentina Open due to an injury. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back soon in Buenos Aires."
With these withdrawals, Francisco Cerúndolo emerges as the top favorite among the Argentines, alongside Sebastián Báez and Tomás Etcheverry. The tournament retains appeal with players like Italians Luciano Darderi and Matteo Berrettini, aiming to maintain its competitive level despite the absences.
