By Rory Carroll
INDIAN WELLS, California, March 6 (Reuters) – Gael Monfils bid an emotional farewell to Indian Wells on Friday as the popular Frenchman fell 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4 to Felix Auger-Aliassime.
One of the sport’s great entertainers, the 39-year-old has said this season would be his last and soaked in the atmosphere in the California desert as the packed crowd gave him a standing ovation as he exited after the second-round match.
“It’s unbelievable tournament for me. I’m a little bit sad. You know, I’m normally not down, but a little bit sad,” he told reporters.
“As a kid, I always wanted to play in big tournaments in front of big crowds, in big venues, and this one was matching all my expectations from day one until now.”
Known for his athleticism and flair, Monfils won 13 ATP Tour titles, the latest of which came in Auckland last year, nearly 20 years after his first in Poland in 2005.
Monfils said he was grateful to get a wildcard into this year’s tournament and that he leaves with fond memories.
“For me it was always a happy place, a place where I could grow myself. I always sit here in peace,” he said.
Monfils’ career was in some ways the victim of bad timing as he played in the era of the ‘Big Three’ with Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic enjoying a two-decade long stranglehold on men’s tennis.
He reached two Grand Slam semi-finals, losing both at the French Open in 2008 and the 2016 U.S. Open, but said he would sign off from tennis without any regrets.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Indian Wells; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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