The pathway to Roland Garros starts in Monaco, where the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters will pool the ATP’s top stars to battle for the first Masters tournament of this year’s clay-court swing.
The major talking point on the eve of the draw ceremony was whether 11-time champion Rafael Nadal would stick to his word and play his first tournament since sustaining a hip injury in Brisbane. Sadly, the Spaniard relayed the disappointing news of his withdrawal on Thursday, citing that his body “won’t allow” him to play.
But even with Nadal continuing his absence from the tournament for a second year in a row, there is plenty of star attraction in the field, and the winner will receive a near seven-figure paycheck.
It is with great sadness that I have to withdraw from this amazing tournament at Indian Wells.
Everyone knows how much I love this place and how much I love to play here. That’s also one of the reasons why I came very early to the desert to practice and try to get ready. pic.twitter.com/gmvs5kfGO2— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) March 7, 2024
Key information for the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters
Location: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Surface: Clay
Level: Masters 1000
Prize Money: €5,950,575
Draw size: 56 (singles) / 28 (doubles)
Five Players to watch at this week’s Monte-Carlo Masters
Novak Djokovic is the top seed and a two-time champion at the Principality. He is also a Monaco resident. Djokovic defends the most points during the clay-court swing and faces a potential rankings slide if he can’t eradicate his poor form. He hasn’t progressed beyond the round of 16 stage at this tournament since 2019. The Serb is reportedly working with compatriot Nenad Zimonjic following the sudden split with Croatian coach Goran Ivanisevic.
Carlos Alcaraz will make just his second appearance in Monte Carlo. This is usually a tricky tournament for him because he is committed to playing in home events in Spain, like the Barcelona Open and Madrid Masters. Last season, he skipped Monte Carlo, so he stands to gain points and regain the world #2 ranking.
Jannik Sinner replaced Alcaraz as the World #2 after winning the Miami Open. The Italian has been a class above everyone else in 2024, winning the most titles and matches. He leads the ATP Race to Turin and is within touching distance of becoming the new world No. 1. Sinner is guaranteed the lion’s share of support from the Monégasque crowd because of his Italian heritage.
Daniil Medvedev shockingly won his first career title on clay last summer in Rome. He famously reached the 2019 Monte Carlo semifinal, beating Stefanos Tsitspas and Novak Djokovic along the way. However, despite making two finals, he hasn’t won a title this season. His distaste for the surface is documented, but he is fighting a mental hurdle of late, having lost most of his recent matches against the Top 3 in the head-to-head.
Andrey Rublev captured his first Masters title last year when he defeated Holger Rune to win this tournament. The Russian has had a rollercoaster year, to say the least. He won the ATP 250 event in Hong Kong at the start of January and proceeded to reach three straight quarterfinals. But his season hit a low when he lost control of his emotions during a semifinal match in Dubai. Rublev was infamously defaulted for shouting at a line judge. It will be interesting to see how he fares on his title defense after a modest run in Indian Wells and Miami.
Seeded Players At the Tournament
- Novak Djokovic
- Jannik Sinner
- Carlos Alcaraz
- Daniil Medvedev
- Alexander Zverev
- Andrey Rublev
- Holger Rune
- Casper Ruud
- Grigor Dimitrov
- Hubert Hurkacz
- Alex de Minaur
- Stefanos Tsitsipas
- Taylor Fritz
- Ugo Humbert
- Karen Khachanov
- Alexander Bublik
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
