Gael Monfils opts to skip 2023 Australian Open, has his sights set on Paris 2024 Olympics

Gael Monfils has confirmed that he will skip the 2023 Australian Open to use his protected ranking for Roland Garros.

Monfils produced a surprise run to the quarter-finals in Melbourne this year before he was knocked out by Matteo Berrettini in five sets. But he has only featured in eight tournaments in 2022 due to injury.

After undergoing heel surgery he missed the French Open and Wimbledon before returning for the hard court season in North America.

However, his comeback came to an abrupt end when he was forced to withdraw from his quarter-final match against Great Britain’s Jack Draper at the Canadian Open in August.

Looking ahead to next year, Monfils, who recently became a father for the first time, has said he will not play in Australia and that one of his primary goals is to get ready for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

He told Canal+: “I think that you know, there is the protected ranking, when you don’t play for a certain amount of months.

“I know that if I take it, I have to not play the Australian Open to reach the six months needed and that will be my decision.

“2023 is an important year for me, a year of transition, transition between my injuries and the fact to be competitive to try to qualify for Paris 2024.

“I would not like to miss them [Olympics], it would be my last one.

“I hope that 2024 would not be my last year but maybe the one after that.”

Monfils, whose last title came in Adelaide in January, has previously said he would like to keeping playing professionally until the age of 40.

But he has hinted he may call an end to his career earlier to spend more time with his family.

He added: “Before, I said that I wanted to play until I’m 40 but the more time I spend with my daughter, the more I’m thinking that maybe I’ll play a bit less.”

– – –