The Monte Carlo Masters is the first Masters 1000 tournament on clay and ramps up preparations ahead of the French Open. The main draw action will begin on April 6th and run for only a week (unlike Madrid and Rome, which are both scheduled to operate across two weeks).
As Jannik Sinner continues to serve his three-month suspension for doping offenses, this year’s entry list at the Principality is headed by World No. 2 Alexander Zverev. Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, and Novak Djokovic make up the top four seeds in the tournament.
Djokovic can become the first player to win the Golden Masters at least three times (winning all nine Masters tournaments in his career). No other player has even won every one once. The 56-player draw will include four wild cards, which have been named.
Four Players Receive Monte Carlo Masters Wild Cards
The first wild card is Richard Gasquet. The French veteran is on his farewell tour and will play in Monte Carlo one last time. It’s only fitting that Gasquet got a wild card in his final year as a professional. He made his ATP debut as a 15-year-old in this tournament back in 2002 and earned his first Tour level that week. But his career highlight was beating then World No. 1 Roger Federer in a Monte Carlo classic in 2005.
The second wild card is Stan Wawrinka. The three-time Grand Slam champion recently turned 40 and doesn’t know how much he has left to play. Wawrinka won his only Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo over a decade ago, beating Federer in the final.
The third wild has also gone to another veteran. Fabio Fogini’s biggest moment of his tennis career was in Monaco. He defeated 11-time record champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets en route to capturing his one and thus far only Masters title in 2019. Fognini will feature in the Monte Carlo main draw for the first time since 2022.
The last wild card entrant will be Valentin Vacherot, who is the only Monegasque ranked in the Top 500. The 26-year-old has played in each of the last two main draws at his home tournament but has yet to pick up a win. Vacherot is a four-time champion on the ATP Challenger Tour.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
