The 2025 Moselle Open in Metz has turned into a major disappointment for tennis fans. What looked like a pretty strong lineup just a few weeks ago has been gutted by player withdrawals.
It’s the final week before the ATP Finals kick off on November 9th. Along with the Athens Open, Metz represents the last chance for players to grab ranking points at a 250-level tournament before the season wraps up.
Usually, these late-season events struggle to attract big names. Players are either tired, injured, or already focused on the year-end championships.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniil Medvedev | 29 | 6,485 | 27 - 8 |
For a while, it seemed like Metz might be different this year.
Daniil Medvedev was supposed to be the main draw. The 2021 US Open champion had been playing some of his best tennis in months after making a coaching change that really paid off.
Medvedev’s late-season surge came after he finally parted ways with Gilles Cervara, his coach of more than eight years. The split happened right after the US Open, and honestly, many people thought it should’ve happened way sooner.
The Russian hadn’t won a title in over two years at that point.
But the coaching change worked. Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke took over, and Medvedev immediately started playing better. He reached the semifinals in both Beijing and Shanghai before finally ending his trophy drought at the Almaty Open.
That momentum carried him all the way to the Paris Masters quarterfinals, where he had Alexander Zverev on the ropes. Medvedev actually had two match points to close out the win.
He couldn’t get it done. Zverev escaped in a deciding set tiebreak after what turned out to be a pretty grueling battle.
After that heartbreaker, Medvedev decided he’d had enough. He’s calling it a season, which makes total sense given how many matches he’s played since the US Open.
Frances Tiafoe was another big name on the original entry list. But the American announced weeks ago that he was shutting it down early after what’s been a really tough year for him.
Tiafoe also made some major changes to his team. He split from his entire coaching staff, including David Witt. That’s a pretty bold move considering Witt has successfully coached Venus Williams and Jessica Pegula.
But 2025 just didn’t work out under Witt’s guidance.
The withdrawal that’s probably hurt local fans the most is Ugo Humbert. He was born right there in Metz, and his title run in 2023 was absolutely magical for the home crowd.
Humbert hasn’t played since retiring from his Swiss Indoors semifinal, so something’s clearly bothering him physically.
Tallon Griekspoor pulled out too, which is a shame because the Dutchman is one of the most entertaining players on tour. His matches against Zverev are always epic battles.
Tomas Machac was another notable withdrawal. The Czech has had some disappointing results this season, but he’s still one of the most improved players over the past couple years.
The list of withdrawals keeps going: Alex Michelsen, Gabriel Diallo, Benjamin Bonzi, and Zizou Bergs have all pulled out.
Felix Auger-Aliassime‘s status is still up in the air after his run to the Paris Masters final. The Canadian’s ATP Finals hopes might actually depend on whether he decides to play in Metz or not.
What started as a promising send-off to the 2025 season has turned into a pretty weak field. It’s a reminder that scheduling these events right before the year’s biggest tournaments is always going to be tricky.
