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The 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters is about to begin and players are getting ready to get down and dirty in the red dirt.
All eyes will be on World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who'll be returning to action in almost two months. One of the few former champions in the draw, the Serb is expected to do well despite a lack of competitive matches under his belt.
Rafael Nadal, the most decorated champion in the history of the tournament, won't be competing this time due to an injury. Matteo Berrettini, Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev aren't participating either.
Defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas has proven himself on clay in the past, but will have to overcome his recent patchy form to win back-to-back titles here. Casper Ruud is another player who loves to play on clay and will be a daunting opponent to face.
Carlos Alcaraz is the man of the hour. His historic victory at the Miami Open has transformed him into an overnight sensation. The teenager will be eager to continue his exploits at the Monte-Carlo Masters as well. Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz and Hubert Hurkacz are some of the other prospects to keep an eye out for.
The tournament has a strong field, with plenty of candidates who have a strong case to emerge as the winners. But a few of them are a cut above the rest at the moment. Here are five players to watch out for at the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters.
#5 Cameron Norrie
Cameron Norrie has put behind a disappointing start to the season to record some consistent results of late. He failed to win a single match Down Under, going 0-4 during the ATP Cup and the Australian Open.
A quarterfinal finish at the Rotterdam Open instilled some belief in Norrie, who then won his third career title at the Delray Beach Open. The Brit made it to the title round at the Mexican Open as well, but fell to Rafael Nadal in straight sets.
Norrie then returned to the scene of his biggest career triumph, the Indian Wells Masters. Carlos Alcaraz ended his title defense in the quarterfinals. He then made it to the fourth round in Miami, losing to eventual runner-up Casper Ruud.
Norrie's string of good results has propelled him to a career-high ranking of World No. 10. The Brit will be eager to continue his run of good form at the Monte-Carlo Masters and continue his rise up the rankings.
#4 Stefanos Tsitsipas
Defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas arrives at the Monte-Carlo Masters with questions regarding his form. He had an excellent clay season in 2021, which he kicked off by winning his maiden Masters 1000 title at this very tournament.
The World No. 5 started the year on a strong note, but has faded into the background with his recent results. A semifinal showing at the Australian Open was followed by a runner-up finish in Rotterdam.
Tsitsipas reached the quarterfinals at the Open Sud de France and the semifinals at the Mexican Open, even winning the doubles title at the latter tournament. However, the Greek failed to impress with his performances in Indian Wells and Miami. He was upstaged by Jenson Brooksby in the third round and Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round, respectively.
Tsitsipas has his task cut out for him if he wants to win consecutive titles at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
#3 Casper Ruud
Casper Ruud started the year by winning two of his ATP Cup matches but an unfortunate injury forced him out of the Australian Open. He made a triumphant return at the Argentina Open, winning his seventh career title and sixth on clay.
Ruud was unable to carry this momentum with him, as another injury forced him to miss his next tournament, the Rio Open. Upon his return to action at Indian Wells, he lost in the third round to Nick Kyrgios.
Ruud then reached the biggest final of his career at the Miami Open, knocking out players like Cameron Norrie and Alexander Zverev en route to the title round. He lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the summit clash.
Nevertheless, he has now reached a career-high ranking of World No. 7 with his recent performances. Clay is Ruud's favored surface and he'll be one of the leading contenders to win the title at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
#2 Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic has spent most of the year on the sidelines. 2022 started with the Serb being involved in a visa scandal that left him unable to participate in the Australian Open. The vaccine mandate in the US resulted in his exclusion from the Indian Wells and Miami Masters as well.
Djokovic has played in only one tournament so far, the Dubai Tennis Championships in February. The World No. 1 was upset in the quarterfinals by Jiri Vesely.
Despite his lack of match practice, Djokovic is still among the favorites for this title. He is a two-time champion at the Monte-Carlo Masters and one of the best clay court players of all time.
The Serb will be hungry for some success after missing out on a huge chunk of the season already. His draw is rather tough, though, with either Taylor Fritz or Carlos Alcaraz potentially awaiting him in the quarterfinals.
Nevertheless, a determined Djokovic is a scary prospect for the rest of the field and the early rounds will determine his fate. If he's able to shake off the rust and get going, it'll be tough to stop him.
#1 Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz is undoubtedly the hottest player on the tour right now. He made a slow start to the year, losing a tight five-set contest against Matteo Berrettini in the third round of the Australian Open. Since that loss, the teenager has been on a roll.
Alcaraz won his second career title at the Rio Open. At the Indian Wells Masters, he made it to the semifinals where he put up an excellent fight against Rafael Nadal, but came up short.
The Spaniard then won the biggest title of his career and maiden Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open. En route to the title, he defeated players like 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas and defending champion Hubert Hurkacz.
At just 18 years of age, Alcaraz became the youngest winner in the history of the Miami Open. He's quite close to making his debut in the top 10 as well, as he's currently ranked number 11. The Spaniard has all the momentum on his side right now and the world is completely enamored by his rapid rise to the top.
Getting to the top is one thing, but staying there is another matter. It remains to be seen if Alcaraz will be able to handle the burden of expectations going forward. But from what we've seen so far, the youngster seems determined to outdo himself at every given opportunity.
Thos makes him a huge threat at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
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