Luca Van Assche came into the spotlight after his Cinderella run at the Paris Masters. He defeated players like Learner Tien and Lorenzo Musetti on his way to the semifinals, where he was eventually knocked out by Ben Shelton. Though Van Assche had originally entered the Stockholm Open, he suddenly decided to end his season early after the grueling run in Paris. But despite this, the Frenchman will still have to travel to Sweden to avoid being penalized by the ATP.
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As per ATP’s strict rules, Van Assche needs to be present in Stockholm to complete the procedure for his withdrawal. This is because he pulled out of the event after the end of ATP’s deadline. Withdrawing late can lead to players facing hefty fines. But players can avoid them by travelling to the site of the tournament and undergoing a medical examination. If the player is declared unfit to compete by the doctors, then he won’t face any fine.
This is why Van Assche has decided to travel to Stockholm despite having no intention of playing there. This situation highlights how strict the ATP is with its rules and doesn’t make exceptions for any player.
“I have to go to Stockholm to retire there,” Van Assche told RMC at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. “I retired late. I had to make a decision before Thursday; otherwise, I will face a substantial fine.”
Van Assche’s withdrawal from the Stockholm Open initially came as a surprise to many. He had the momentum on his side following the sensational run at the Paris Masters and could have gained more points by competing in Sweden. But his first few matches could have been quite tough.
The Frenchman was scheduled to face Alexander Shevchenko in the opening round and could have potentially come up against Casper Ruud in the Round of 16. With his campaign in Paris being quite exhausting, it is understandable that he wanted to take a break.
The 22-year-old has risen to No. 34 in the rankings and is currently the second-highest-ranked Frenchman behind Arthur Fils. 2026 has been Van Assche’s breakout year on the Tour, and he first made headlines by clinching the title at the Estoril Open in July. He defeated players like Andrey Rublev and Alexander Blockx on his way to the title.
He also won titles at the Quimper Challenger, the Play In Challenger, the Challenger event in Parma, and the Quebec City Challenger. Some of his other notable results of the season include the 6-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 win against Cameron Norrie at the US Open and a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win against Valentin Vacherot at the Lyon Open.
Like Van Assche, there are players who have previously been threatened or fined by the ATP for withdrawing from tournaments after the deadline. One of the best examples of this came in 2024 when a player slammed the ATP for imposing a fine on him for pulling out of an event at the last minute.
Karue Sell was infuriated for being fined by the ATP over his last-minute withdrawal
Brazilian ATP pro Karue Sell was fined $1000 by the ATP for withdrawing from an event in California after the deadline. He made the decision because he didn’t have enough time to prepare for the tournament. Despite having a good reason to withdraw from the event, the ATP still imposed a fine on him.
Sell had criticized the ATP for the decision, questioning why he isn’t allowed to make a simple decision without getting fined.
“Took a 1k fine as I wasn’t going to make it to Cali in time at least for my standard,” he had written on Instagram. “Arriving the day before and having no time to practice is not conducive of a good result (unless you are Ryan Seggerman). Yet I can’t make that decision as the player without getting fined. Very player-friendly association… worth it to be with my boy (his dog) for a few days.”
According to ATP’s regulations, late-withdrawal fines start at $500 for minor offences. They can go much higher for a major offence. The fine also varies according to the type of tournament the player has withdrawn from and his ranking.