Following appetizers in Marrakech and Houston, the clay-court swing offers one of its main courses this coming week: the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are both in the field, joined by Dominic Thiem Alexander Zverev, Marin Cilic, Kei Nishikori, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Karen Khachanov as first-round bye recipients. Also playing are David Goffin, Denis Shapovalov, Borna Coric, Daniil Medvedev, Stan Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and many others.
The draw ceremony was held on Friday and it gave Nadal an even bigger advantage that what he already enjoys on clay even with all other things being equal. Djokovic’s top half is also home to Thiem and Tsitsipas. The top-ranked may have to kick off his campaign against Philipp Kohlschreiber, who recently upset him in Indian Wells.
That is not to say Nadal has a cakewalk. The second-seeded Spaniard could open with Roberto Bautista Agut before possibly meeting either Shapovalov or Dimitrov in the third round and Wawrinka in the quarterfinals.
“Since the first time I came to Monte-Carlo, it’s been a love story with this event,” Nadal said during his 2018 title run. “It’s one of the most beautiful tennis clubs in the world, without a doubt, and every time I have the chance to be here, it’s a special feeling.”
The world No. 2 was in doubt to get another chance this year, but appears to have recovered from a knee injury that forced him out of a scheduled Miami semifinal showdown against Roger Federer last month.
“This has always been a very special place for me,” Nadal said during Friday’s draw proceedings. “I watched all of the great champions here as a kid, so it was always a dream for me to be here.”
Just being there? How about winning it 11 times? That is the record that Nadal holds in the principality, which he has also achieved in Barcelona and at the French Open.
Main-draw action begins on Sunday and will conclude the following Sunday–possibly with another Nadal-Djokovic battle. But based on the quality of this field, we have a long way to go before considering that final matchup comes to fruition.
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