The sun, the sea, the ochre, the public... After two years of pandemic (2020 edition canceled and 2021 behind closed doors), the Masters 1000 of Monte-Carlo, which has just started, finally finds colors of pre- Covid.
Marking the official kick-off of the clay-court season, the culmination of which will be Roland-Garros (May 22 - June 5).
Almost back to normal.
Except that only one being is missing and the prize list suddenly seems very depopulated.
Eleven times winner on the Rock between 2005 and 2018, Rafael Nadal must indeed skip this year after a thunderous start to the season.
The Spaniard is nursing a cracked rib and hopes to return to competition in early May.
But there are many suitors to succeed Stefanos Tsitsipas (Rublev's scorer in the final last year).
Starting with the Greek himself.
And a great ghost, Novak Djokovic,
Djokovic back on earth
The year 2022 has started 99 days ago and Novak Djokovic has only played… three games.
After his incredible Australian adventures and his expulsion from the country on the eve of the first Grand Slam of the season, the Serb simply lined up for the Dubai tournament at the end of February, where his defeat in the quarterfinals against Vesely cost him his place of n #1 worldwide.
An armchair quickly taken back from Daniil Medvedev… without playing.
In the absence of anti-Covid vaccination, the Belgradois had to skip the American tour and the first two Masters 1000 on the calendar.
The easing of restrictions in France (the Monte-Carlo Country Club is located in the town of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin) and in Europe allows the winner of the last Roland-Garros, titled twice on the Coast (2013 and 2015), to consider the weeks to come with serenity on the organizational level.
"I hope I won't play six games in six months," he smiles.
I miss the competition.
Obviously the last four or five months have been very difficult for me mentally and emotionally, but I'm trying to put all of that behind me and move on.
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On the court, on the other hand, it is difficult to know what face the Djoker will show, who has separated from his historic coach Marian Vajda and has been training hard for several days on the facilities of the MCCC, a few hundred meters from his Monegasque home.
"Historically, it's not my best surface even though I've had great success there," he continues.
I try to take inspiration from the last Roland-Garros to start the season on clay in the best possible way.
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Djokovic will start against the Spaniard Davidovich Fokina and should quickly know if he is rusty.
In the quarter-finals, he could indeed find the scarecrow Alcaraz…
Not one, not two, but THREE balls in play at once 😅@DjokerNole & @stanwawrinka enjoying some mini tennis fun in Monte-Carlo!#RolexMCMasters pic.twitter.com/Dyg2OGmHSS
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 10, 2022
Alcaraz reduces everything to dust
It is the new attraction of the circuit.
Since his improbable defeat against Hugo Gaston at Bercy last fall, Carlos Alcaraz has been walking on water.
Or rather splashes his opponents with a bestial force which inevitably recalls a certain Nadal.
The young Murcian, who turns 19 on May 5, continues to break precocity records.
So much so that he is already the third favorite for Roland-Garros among the bookmakers!
“There are no words to describe Alcaraz, summed up the former Spanish world No. 1 Arantxa Sanchez on Cadena Ser.
It is a spectacular phenomenon.
The way he moves on the court, the strength he has, how he handles the big moments.
It's a phenomenon.
“With a much more complete arsenal than his Majorcan elder at the same age.
Alcaraz, who remains on a title in Miami and is already in 11th place, has lost only 2 games out of 20 in 2022: in the 5th set tie-break against Berrettini in Australia and a huge fight against Nadal in the semi-finals. Indian Wells final.
And to think that clay is his favorite surface…
“He took a few days off to refresh his legs, but also his head, slips his coach Juan-Carlos Ferrero, ex-world No. 1 and winner in Paris in 2003. To do a lot of calculations is to put too much pressure on Carlos' shoulders.
We know the clay court season could be very good, but we have to be careful.
We have to continue to work well, not to be overconfident, to play good tennis.
“A school of humility there also “Nadalian”.
👏🏽 18 years old and the great class of Carlos #Alcaraz 🇪🇸 to take time for his fans after his training at the #RolexMCMasters!
pic.twitter.com/P6tyEqzjDX
— Game, Set & Talk (@GameSetAndTalk) April 10, 2022
Without Monfils, the Blues will have a lot to do
With five players directly admitted to the final draw (Monfils, Paire, Humbert, Rinderknech and Tsonga, guest), the Blues were not jostling at the gate.
And now Gaël Monfils, who should face the Pole Hurkacz in the 1st round, announced his withdrawal this Sunday due to discomfort in his right foot.
The Parisian, hexagonal n°1, needs a rest and plans to return to Madrid in early May.
We will therefore follow with a certain nostalgia the duel of veterans between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the Croatian Marin Cilic, titled at the US Open in 2014. The former French No. 1 and world No. 5, who will drop the handle after Roland-Garros, begins its farewell mini-tour in the Principality.
“I want to go to the end of my thing, he explains.
When I will stop, I will be able to really realize what I was able to do.
I hope it will end in the best way and that I could thank everyone at the end.
But I feel light, it's quite nice and I come here trying to enjoy what I have left to play.
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Saturday, his training session against Gaël Monfils, the only one of the four "Musketeers" who has no intention of hanging up in the coming months, had a funny flavor for the spectators... and the two men.
“These are the last training sessions, the last moments when we are still players together, sighs Monfils.
We're friends for life, that's for sure, but we're still players together..."
Tsonga vs Monfils in training
🥰
(🎥 @Gael_Monfils) pic.twitter.com/IgMI6hWC3M
— We Are Tennis France (@WeAreTennisFR) April 10, 2022