The 2022 Monte Carlo Masters 1000 will see Novak Djokovic return to the tour after nearly two months. The Serb’s participation on the tour has been severely curtailed since the start of the 2022 season owing to his vaccination status. He was deported from Australia before the Australian Open and he was subsequently denied entry into the United States as he chose to remain unvaccinated.
Nonetheless, he featured at the Dubai Open, his only tournament so far this season, where he lost to Jiri Vesely in the quarterfinals. However, Djokovic will be hoping to put the past behind him as he gears up for the clay season in the lead-up to the French Open where he is the defending champion.
Djokovic, a 20-time Major champions, enters the Monte Carlo Masters as the top seed. Despite the absence of 11-time Monte Carlo champion, Rafael Nadal and reigning US Open champion, Daniil Medvedev, the Monte Carlo Masters draw still boasts some formidable names. Alongside Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, and Andrey Rublev are the top five seeds in the Principality.
The 34-year-old Serb is concerned, he finds himself in the top half of the draw. Interestingly, the young Spanish sensation, Carlos Alcaraz is placed in the same quarter as Djokovic. The duo could meet each other in the quarterfinals in Monaco. But with the two-time Monte Carlo champion preparations now well-underway, what is his possible path to a third title in Monaco?
Novak Djokovic – What Is His Path to the Monte Carlo Title?
Round of 32 vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
After receiving a bye in his opening round, Djokovic will take on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in his second-round clash. In his tournament opener, the Spaniard edged past Marcos Giron 7-5, 6-3 to set up an intriguing clash against Djokovic. Davidovich Fokina, who relishes playing on clay, certainly has the potential to challenge Djokovic.
The Serb, who will be short of match sharpness, cannot afford a slow start against the Spaniard who will surely not lack motivation up against one of the greats of the game. Nonetheless, considering the gulf between the two, Djokovic should be able to overcome Davidovich Fokina’s challenge to win his opening match on his comeback to the tour.
Round of 16 vs Roberto Bautista Agut/Daniel Evans
In a mouth-watering first-round clash, Roberto Bautista Agut will take on Britain’s Daniel Evans. The winner of this clash will most likely take on David Goffin in the second round before locking horns with Djokovic in a possible round-of-16 clash.
Bautista Agut and Evans have been inconsistent on the tour so far this season. However, Evans can draw confidence from his semifinal run in the Principality in 2021. He beat Djokovic in straight sets in their round-of-16 clash last year, before losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals. Bautista Agut also has a solid record against Djokovic. Despite their inconsistencies on the tour, both Bautista Agut and Evans have the tools to upset Djokovic. The Serb cannot afford to be complacent against either of these two players.
Quarterfinal vs Carlos Alcaraz
If Djokovic manages to manoeuvre his way through a tricky opening couple of rounds, he will probably face his first big test in Monaco in the form of Alcaraz in the quarterfinal. The 18-year-old is enjoying a sensational run so far this season. He has already won big titles at the Rio Open and the Miami Masters titles this season and appears to be hungry for more. Alcaraz does not have any evident weaknesses in his game.
Despite his loss against Nadal in Indian Wells, a rare defeat for the young gun this season, the 18-year-old pushed Nadal to his limits in the Californian desert. Against Alcaraz, who is on a roll, Djokovic might need to pull out every trick in his book to overcome the young Spaniard. Djokovic must be willing to mix things up by occasional serving and volleying and changing his return position, especially on Alcaraz’s second serves, to unsettle the youngster’s rhythm. On Alcaraz’s current form, Djokovic will surely need to dig deep to overcome Spaniard’s challenge should they meet in the last eight.
Semifinal vs Casper Ruud
If Djokovic finds his way into the last four, he might well lock horns against the Miami Open runner-up Casper Ruud. The 23-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2021, winning five titles last year on the tour. Ruud’s power-packed game is tailormade for clay, with Ruud’s top-spin heavy groundstrokes serving him well on the terre battue. The Norwegian has won six titles on clay so far in his career and relishes playing on the red dirt.
Ruud displayed tremendous resilience in his run to the final in Miami. He should be motivated to carry his form into the clay season. Djokovic does enjoy a 2-0 head-to-head lead over the young Norwegian, but Ruud can draw confidence from his performance in the last tournament he played on clay. He lost a solitary set en route to his title win in Buenos Aires, defeating clay-court specialist, Diego Schwartzman in the final. Ruud’s resilience can certainly test Djokovic.
Final vs Stefanos Tsitsipas
Runner-up at the French Open in 2021, Tsitsipas has been experiencing a dip in form so far this season. The young Greek is still to win a title in 2022 and has fallen to some unexpected losses this season. Nonetheless, clay seems to bring the best out of Tsitsipas and he will be hoping to defend his title at the Monte Carlo Masters. The Greek did not drop a set during his title run in Monaco last year.
Djokovic and Tsitsipas have produced iconic and breath-taking tennis in their recent encounters on clay. Though Tsitsipas managed to stretch the Serb to five sets in their last two meetings in Paris, his weakness on his backhand wing has been the reason for his downfall, especially against someone as resilient as Djokovic. If the duo clash in the final, it promises to be a superb contest. But Tsitsipas will need to find a way to be more aggressive off his backhand wing to challenge Djokovic.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
