Gael Monfils releases strong statement after argument with furious Laver Cup opponent

Gael Monfils issued a strong statement following a disagreement with his Laver Cup rival Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian complained to the umpire when the 37-year-old was taking too long in between points and argued that the tournament was still meant to be played under regular ATP rules. Monfils then approached his opponent for a chat at the Team World player bench. And the Frenchman has now refuted any claims that he wasn't taking the tournament seriously.There was drama on the opening day of the Laver Cup when Auger-Aliassime wasn't happy with the amount of time Monfils was taking between points during their singles match. The world No 14 appeared to push for a time violation, telling the umpire: "I can play games too."The Frenchman approached Auger-Aliassime during the changeover at 2-3 as the pair exchanged words in French. Later, with Monfils trailing 4-5, he explained to his Europe teammates that he was told he could be more "free" at the Laver Cup. "They called me and said 'You can be free'. For me, I’m here to have fun," he said.