Benoit Paire has announced an indefinite break from tennis after losing to Italian Lorenzo Sonego in Stuttgart. Paire lost 5-7, 2-6 in the first round of the grass-court warmup tournament on Monday. With the loss, the Frenchman continues his poor form this season.

The surprising update came after the loss when Paire took to Instagram to deliver the message. The World No. 80 suffered his third defeat in a row after his opening round exit at Roland Garros.

Paire uploads cryptic message on Instagram

The Frenchman posted a message in French indicating that he’ll be missing from the tour in the near future. The caption read, “Tennis break for an indefinite period…”. The story also included a photo of him holding his head in his hands, looking down.

Paire has been on a woeful run this season, dropping out of the Top 50 in the rankings. The flamboyant Frenchman has also failed to vow crowds with his entertaining skills and powerful shot-making on court. The break from tennis could be a positive call for Paire, who has stated that he hasn’t been mentally ready after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Paire’s antics on court

The Frenchman has been constantly in the limelight for the wrong reasons. He has been fined, reprimanded on various occasions during the Tour. In 2021, Paire was given a code violation for misconduct after spitting on the court after an argument.

While he continues to show glimpses of his potential from time to time, his behavior seems to cost him heavily in his career.

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The Frenchman has won 3 career titles – the 2015 Swedish Open, the 2019 Marrakech Open, and the 2019 Lyon Open, while attaining a career-high ranking of 18 in 2016. Will Paire return a rejuvenated player on court? Will we see another version of the exciting Frenchman after an “indefinite pause”? We’ll have to wait and find out.