Former French Open semi-finalist has withdrawn from the Rome Masters just weeks before Roland Garros starts

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The ATP Tour clay season continues with the Madrid Open final, which is quickly followed by the Rome Masters.

On the WTA Tour, Aryna Sabalenka won the Madrid Open final, defeating American ace Coco Gauff 6-3, 7-6(7-3).

The Madrid Open now concludes with the men’s final, where British number one Jack Draper is taking on Casper Ruud.

All eyes will then turn to the Italian capital, where further WTA 1000 and ATP Masters 1000 events are taking place.

Men’s world number one Jannik Sinner is expected to return to tennis at the tournament, with his three-month ban set to come to an end.

Gael Monfils withdraws from Rome Masters ahead of French Open

Sinner has trained with Draper ahead of his return, with the Italian having retained top spot in the ATP rankings despite his absence.

There will, however, be no appearance from former world number six Gael Monfils, who has withdrawn from the Rome Masters.

READ MORE: Gael Monfils picks the ‘crazy’ Grand Slam match which he considers to be the most memorable in tennis history

The Frenchman’s withdrawal from the tournament comes shortly before the French Open, which gets underway in Paris later this month.

And it comes after he was forced to withdraw from Madrid with illness, having won his opener against Borna Gojo.

What is Gael Monfils’s Grand Slam history?

Monfils would be a huge miss at Roland Garros, not least because of his nationality, with home fans certain to be keen to follow his efforts on court.

His attractive and entertaining style of play would also be missed at the Grand Slam, with Monfils having wowed fans over the years with countless outrageous shots.

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But his age would also be a factor, with the 38-year-old undoubtedly running out of time when it comes to extending his glittering career.

Monfils is a 13-time champion on the ATP Tour, and made it to the semi-finals at Roland Garros back in 2008.

He battled past David Ferrer in the quarter-finals that year before falling to Roger Federer, who lost the final to Rafael Nadal.

The Frenchman has also reached the semi-finals of the US Open, with quarter-final and fourth round finishes representing his best at the Australian Open and Wimbledon respectively.