Monte Carlo Masters Gallery: Glitz, glamour and Rafael Nadal’s dominance

Tennis Galleries
Monte Carlo Masters

The playground of the rich and famous, Monte Carlo plays host to the official start of the European clay-court swing.

Monte Carlo
The Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters actually takes place in picturesque Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France and is a favourite stop for many players on the ATP Tour.

Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas returns in a bid to defend the title he won here in 2021.

Monte Carlo Masters
Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas celebrates winning the 2021 Monte Carlo Masters final against Russia’s Andrey Rublev in straight sets.

We will not see Rafael Nadal add to his record 11 Monte Carlo Masters titles.

Monte Carlo Masters
Rafael Nadal has won the Monte Carlo Masters title on 11 occasions, a record which is likely to stand for some time to come with no other current player coming close.

Over €5 million worth of prize money will be on offer at the season’s third ATP 1000 event.

Monte Carlo Masters
A general view of the main court (Prince Rainier III) at the Monte Carlo Country Club in the French town of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.

In 1983, Mats Wilander became the youngest man to win the Monte Carlo title aged just 18.

Monte Carlo Masters
Mats Wilander won the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time back in 1983, he was slightly younger than Rafael Nadal was when he won his first in 2005 ensuring that it is one of the few tournament records the Spaniard doesn’t hold.

No player ranked outside of the top 50 in the world has ever won the Monte Carlo Masters.

Monte Carlo Masters
Fabio Fognini won the Monte Carlo Masters in 2019 to become the first Italian to lift the trophy in the open era; as the 13th seed he was the lowest-seeded player to win the tournament since fellow no 13 Gustavo Kuerten’s title run in 1999.

There have been early exits for some of the tournament’s biggest drawcards.

Monte Carlo Masters
The Monte Carlo tennis championship was first held in 1897 and it would become a prominent event before the open era and later a Masters Series event.

Novak Djokovic suffered a surprise second round exit at the hands of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic suffered defeat in his first match at the 2022 Monte Carlo Masters going down to 46th-ranked Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Carlos Alcaraz and World No 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime are also among those to pack their bags early.

Monte Carlo Masters
2J49G2E Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, 13/04/2022, Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters 2022, ATP Masters 1000 tennis tournament on April 13, 2022 at Monte-Carlo Country Club in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France – Photo Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

The Monte-Carlo Masters is the first of three Masters tournaments played on clay.

Monte Carlo Master
The Monte Carlo Masters is the first of three ATP 1000 events contested on clay followed by the Madrid Open and the Italian Open.

Only three times in the last 16 stagings of the Monte Carlo Masters, has the winner not been Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic.

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal has been the undisputed king of Monte Carlo for some time; dominating the event from 2005 until his most recent title in 2018.

Nadal won Monte Carlo Masters title eight consecutive times between 2005 and 2012, making him the only player to win eight consecutive titles at the same tournament.

Rafael Nadal
Injury has prevented Rafael Nadal from making a push for a 12th Monte Carlo Masters title but most of the records he holds at the event are safe from being broken for some time.
Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal Stefanos Tsitsipas

Latest