Monfils Withdraws from Winston-Salem Open

Written by: Staff on 16th August 2012

Monfils Withdraws from Winston-Salem Open

epa03218735 French tennis player Gael Monfils returns the ball to Russian Alex Bogomolov in their match at the Italian Open Tennis Tournament (ATP World Tour), at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, 14 May 2012. EPA/CLAUDIO ONORATI |

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AUGUST 16, 2012) – Gael Monfils’ comeback from a knee injury won’t start at the Winston-Salem Open after all.

The 25-year-old Frenchman informed tournament director Bill Oakes that he will be unable to compete in the second annual tournament, which starts with qualifying on Saturday and the Main Draw on Sunday at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.

Monfils hasn’t played competitively since May because of an injured right knee, and he was hoping to make his return to the ATP World Tour at the Winston-Salem Open. Unfortunately, he has suffered another setback in his rehabilitation.

“We are sorry to announce that Gael has withdrawn from our tournament due to reactivating an injury,” Oakes said. “He is a great player, and we wish him the best in his recovery. We were all anxious for Gael to come to Winston-Salem because he’s one of the most exciting and charismatic players on the tour. But we still have an outstanding field, and Gael’s withdrawal will give one more player the opportunity to make a name for himself.”

Monfils, who reached as high as No. 7 in the ATP rankings last year, had dropped to No. 35 currently because of his recent inactivity. He has four ATP World Tour titles and 13 other runner-up finishes.

Monfils’ withdrawal leaves the Winston-Salem Open with three of the Top 10 players in the current ATP rankings and 23 of the Top 50.

Tickets to the Winston-Salem Open are available online at www.winstonsalemopen.com, by calling (336) 758-6409 or in person at the Wake Forest ticket office located at Bridger Field House at BB&T Field.

About the Winston-Salem Open

The Winston-Salem Open, an ATP World Tour 250 event with a total purse of $625,000, will take place from August 18-25, 2012, with qualifying set for August 18. The tournament will be the final men’s event of the Emirates Airline US Open Series. For more information on the 2012 Winston-Salem Open, please go to www.winstonsalemopen.com.

About the Emirates Airline US Open Series

Now in its ninth season, the Emirates Airline US Open Series continues to serve as a true regular season of hard court tennis, linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. Fans follow the action throughout the summer during national broadcast coverage while players battle for $40 million, including a chance for bonus prize money at the US Open. The Series collectively reached a U.S. television audience of 39 million and drew more than 800,000 on-site fans in 2011. In 2012, Emirates Airline became the title sponsor of the Series, as well as the official airline of the US Open. The Emirates Airline US Open Series is also supported by sponsors American Express, Chase, Citizen Watch Company, Esurance, Evian and Gatorade.

Americans Mardy Fish and Serena Williams swept the 2011 Emirates Airline US Open Series men’s and women’s titles. In 2007, Roger Federer collected the biggest paycheck in tennis history – $2.4 million – for winning the US Open and the Emirates Airline US Open Series. In 2005, Kim Clijsters also captured both the US Open and the Series, winning $2.2 million – the largest purse in women’s sports history – and equaled that amount in 2010, winning the US Open and finishing the Emirates Airline US Open Series in second place.