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Former World No. 6 Gael Monfils was disqualified from the Oslo leg of Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) due to a code of conduct violation following his behavior towards the tournament supervisor. The Frenchman being ousted from the exhibition event has bewildered fans.
Gael Monfils participated in Patrick Mouratoglou's unique exhibition event for the fourth time in his career this week. The Frenchman's campaign in Oslo, however, began on an underwhelming note as he was routed 12-15, 8-17, 9-16 by World No. 11 Alex de Minaur in his first match on Thursday (February 9).
During the match, the 37-year-old wanted to employ a "three-pointer card" before a crucial point against the Aussie. Monfils seemingly called for the card late, which prompted the umpire to deny the request. The Frenchman reportedly argued with the umpire for a few minutes before carrying on with the match.
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As it turns out, Gael Monfils was defaulted from Ultimate Tennis Showdown in Oslo following his loss and was replaced by his countryman Lucas Pouille. The tennis community on social media was perplexed by this news.
One fan was amused at the former World No. 6 being disqualified from a tournament that is as "unserious" as UTS.
"No cuz how are they disqualifying a player in the most unserious tennis event that is known to humankind ijbol," the fan wrote.
Another found the decision to be bizarre as well, considering how the exhibition tournament 'barely has a code of conduct' owing to its uncustomary format.
"It’s so bizarre. UTS barely has a code of conduct," the fan wrote.
Here are a few more reactions:
Gael Monfils was also hit with a warning at last year's Washington Open
As it turns out, Gael Monfils is no stranger to being levied with code violations for his behavior over the last year. The French entertainer was handed one for 'lack of effort' while leading eight-seeded Alexander Bublik 6-3, 5-3 in the first round of the Washington Open last August.
The former World No. 6 had spent most of the 2022 season on the sidelines due to a heel injury and was looking for a good run at the ATP 500 tournament in Washington.
Although he was on top of Alexander Bublik throughout their first-round encounter, he was seemingly tired as he began walking towards his chair seconds before the Kazakh served at 40-0 up.
Monfils' attitude, however, prompted the umpire to give him a warning for a 'lack of effort'. The Frenchman was incensed at this, arguing with the umpire during the changeover. He didn't let the instance shake his focus though, serving out a 6-3, 6-4 win a few minutes later.
