Nadal is the undisputed favourite ahead of the tournament.
One of the best
Without question, Rafa Nadal is one of the most decorated and adored tennis players in the world. Since rising to prominence at a young age, Nadal has grown from strength to strength, and he’s widely regarded as one of the leading talents in the sport.
Over the course of his professional career, Nadal has amassed 16 grand slam triumphs, which includes a staggering total of nine French Open titles. Despite the injuries and deterioration that he endured in 2014 and 2015, in a typically defiant manner, Nadal has recovered with unwavering spirit, and he reclaimed the world number one position in 2017, a feat that he’s maintained in 2018.
The King of clay is widely anticipated to dominate at the Monte Carlo Masters on his return from injury. The Spaniard was forced to retire from his quarter-final bout against Marin Cilic in the Australian Open. However, the excitement is beginning to increase ahead of his return to ATP action.
As previously mentioned, this will be Nadal’s first appearance on the ATP tour following the injury that he incurred in the Australian Open. To his advantage, the Spaniard won’t have to worry about the threat of tennis icon, Roger Federer who has opted to miss the entire court clay season.
Famously, the 31-year-old is extensively recognised as an expert on the clay courts, and he has won the tournament in Monte Carlo on ten previous occasions. He also flaunts the title of being the world number one, as he seeks to retain his Monte Carlo crown.
In fact, the Spaniard has won this stage for the previous two years in succession, and he’ll be hopeful of securing victory for the third consecutive year. Moreover, he has only lost two matches on clay since the French Open in 2016 – his chances of success are undoubtedly high.
The Spaniard has never been defeated in the second-round of the Monte Carlo Masters, and the tennis veteran made short work of Aljaz Bedene this year.
Source sportazinas.com
Potential competitors
That said, Nadal won’t be devoid of pressure or competition as he looks to elongate his tremendous record on clay. It is plausible that Nadal could face Dominic Thiem in the quarter-final stages of the competition, and the fifth seed is at his best when playing on clay courts.
Although, it is essential to recall that the Frenchman has been affected by a recent injury and will perhaps be unable to display the full extent of his abilities in the forthcoming tournament.
Similarly, an abundance of emphasis has been placed on the return of Novak Djokovic. In a similar vein to Nadal, the Serbian player is one of the most recognisable names in the sport and has enjoyed his fair share of dominance and glory in the sport’s recent history.
Even the best is affected by injuries, and the 30-year-old has failed to overcome several injury concerns in an attempt to regain his best form.
Another potential candidate who could triumph against Nadal is Marin Cilic. Of course, Nadal was forced to retire against the Croat in the last-eight stage of the Australian Open – where he was eventually defeated by Roger Federer in the final – and he could threaten Nadal’s ambitions of an eleventh victory in Monte Carlo.
Nonetheless, it’s salient to consider that clay is not his favoured surface, and all the signs are beginning to point towards another victory for the Spanish favourite.
An important time
The Monte Carlo Masters is regarded as the beginning of one of the most exciting periods in the Tennis calendar. Indeed, the Mutua Madrid Open and the Internazionali BNL D’Italia are all fast approaching. Additionally, spectators will be enthralled with the arrival of Wimbledon in the summer.
Following his recent injury dilemmas, Nadal’s favoured Monte Carlo Masters could represent a significant opportunity to attain valuable momentum ahead of several prestigious tournaments over the summer period.
It is exceedingly difficult to anticipate that anyone will be able to dismantle Nadal’s rhythm in the tournament, and seemingly, the world number one is poised for more success on his beloved clay. Only time will tell!
