Van Assche pulls out of Stockholm and ends season after Paris run

The best week of Luca Van Assche's career will also be his last of 2026. One day after his run to the Paris Masters semi-finals ended, the Frenchman withdrew from the Stockholm Open and brought his season to a close.

Tennis Majors reported the news on Monday, 9 November, and said no specific medical reason had been given. Veteran Adrian Mannarino takes his place in the draw as a lucky loser.

A trip to Stockholm just to withdraw

Van Assche explained the rules involved to RMC at Charles de Gaulle airport. According to the report, he still had to fly to Stockholm to pull out in person, because otherwise he would have faced a heavy fine from the ATP. After a long week in Paris, the Frenchman decided against playing one more indoor event this season.

That Paris run was the high point of his year. Van Assche beat Lorenzo Musetti in the third round, avenging his loss to the Italian in Lyon. He then beat qualifier Rinky Hijikata to reach his first Masters 1000 semi-final. In front of a home crowd at the Accor Arena, he took the opening set against Ben Shelton before the American came back to win in three sets and reach the final.

A breakthrough season

Van Assche ends 2026 well ahead of where he started. Tennis Majors says he finishes the season at a career-high No. 34 in the ATP rankings and as the French No. 2 behind Arthur Fils. He also won a title in Estoril, which gave him silverware to go with his results. For a player who was long seen as one of France's most promising juniors, it is the season in which he became a regular tour-level contender.

His withdrawal means one fewer French player in Stockholm, but another Frenchman takes his place. Mannarino lost his final qualifying round to Toby Samuel 3-6, 7-5, 6-1, but now returns to the main draw as a lucky loser.

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The timing matters for Stockholm too. The tournament had already lost several big names before the first ball, and organisers now lose a player who had just beaten Musetti and taken a set off the eventual Paris finalist.

Mannarino's new draw

The 38-year-old left-hander takes over Van Assche's spot in the draw. He will open against Kazakh qualifier Alexander Shevchenko, and the winner will face second seed Casper Ruud in the round of 16.

Van Assche is one of several players who have pulled out of Stockholm this week. Last Word on Sports lists eight earlier withdrawals, including Valentin Vacherot, Alexander Bublik, Denis Shapovalov and Francisco Cerundolo. For Van Assche, the focus now shifts to the off-season. He will begin 2027 with a career-high ranking and with his Paris results proving he can beat top players on big stages.