Djokovic, Sinner, or Alcaraz: who's got the edge in Monte Carlo?

With Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and more, all the big guns in modern tennis are meeting in the Monte-Carlo Masters. Andrey Rublev, also present, won this ATP 1000 event last year. Who's got the edge to win Monte Carlo this time around? Here’s a lineup of usual suspects! (photo credits © Antoine Couvercelle & Chryslene Caillaud/Panoramic/Photo News)

World number one in men’s tennis, Novak Djokovic, has publicly tempered his own expectations for the Monte-Carlo Masters. Is it a sign of the times for a player who normally doesn't start his year this modest? It’s clear that the Serb is searching for his form, which is atypical for him. His record this year proves as much, that’s for sure. He lost the final of the Australian Open to rising star Jannik Sinner. More recently, he suffered a third-round exit at the hands of Luca Nardi in the Indian Wells 1000.

The question on everyone’s lips, then: what happened to the Djokovic that dominated all of 2023? For the man himself, it’s time to wipe the slate clean, with this return to clay. By admitting publicly that he’s lowering the bar in order to gear up for Roland Garros, he could be inviting his fierce competitors to let their guard down. It's important to remember that he’s never made it past the quarters here since 2015…

"Jannik is currently the best player in the world," said Djokovic in his explanation as to why he’s not expecting too much in Monte Carlo. Indeed, the Italian star has only lost a single match so far this season. With the Australian Open back in January, he won his first Grand Slam, and it’s safe to say that it won’t be his last. For outsiders, it may look like Sinner came out of nowhere, but he has all the credentials that indicate a bright future.

First runner-up in the ATP Finals last year, 2 ATP 1000 wins, 4 ATP 500 wins, 6 ATP 250 wins… All in all, he’s racked up 17 final places, winning 13 of them. By winning the Australian Open, he became the 8th player to win the final after trailing 2 sets. That puts him in the same list as resilient legends as Björn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Rafael Nadal and… Novak Djokovic. Remember that he’s still only 22 years old, too!

Update: Alcaraz withdraws from Monte-Carlo Masters

Another modern tennis prodigy destined for greatness is Carlos Alcaraz. A professional since the age of 16, the young Spaniard was the youngest and the first teenager to top the ATP singles ranking, when he won the 2022 US Open at age 19. Besides the US Open, he’s also won Wimbledon last year, and has 5 Masters 1000 titles, including the Miami Open, the Indian Wells Open, and the Madrid Open. Like his compatriot Rafael Nadal before him, the clay courts are right up his alley.

There’s reason for apprehension coming from Monaco, though. Alcaraz was spotted there at a training session with a thick bandage on his right forearm. Even worse, he didn’t do a single forehand strike, focusing only on his backhands. The dejected look on his face wasn’t promising, either. It’s a striking contrast to a press conference the day before, when he expressed optimism at reaching the final rounds. Could it be that he’s playing the same mind game as Djokovic by lowering everyone’s expectations?

Djokovic is openly questioning his own form, and Alcaraz is apparently dealing with an injury. Could this be the moment for Jannik Sinner to deal a striking blow to both the older master and the younger challenger? Beyond the current ATP top 3, there are plenty of others looking to take advantage here. In fact, the whole ATP top 10 will be present. That’ s what makes this Monte-Carlo Masters such a big deal!

Last year’s winner Rublev (ATP 6) will be present to prove that his victory last year was anything but a fluke. Other hopefuls include Daniil Medvedev (ATP 4) and Alexander Zverev (ATP 5). With such an impressive field of participants for an ATP 1000 event, it’s all up in the air here.