Tournament Preview
The European clay-court swing gets underway in the south of France with all of the usual suspects descending on Monte Carlo in a bid to get themselves up and running on the dirt with the French Open looming. Here are our top Monte Carlo Rolex Masters betting tips and predictions.
Tournament History
The Monte Carlo Masters is one of the oldest tournaments currently held on the ATP Tour and is one of the most established Masters 1000 events on the circuits. It is the only Masters 1000 event not to be a mandatory tournament on the calendar yet such is the prestige associated with the event, the field assembled in Monaco is one of the best in the season.
Format
The Monte Carlo Rolex Masters is a 56 player draw with the top 8 seeds in the draw receiving wildcards to the second round.
Venue
The Monte Carlo Country Club is the official host of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters with it having the unique location that sees some courts being located in Monaco and some others situated in mainland France.
Dates
Saturday 13th April 2019 – Sunday 21st April 2019.
Previous Winners
As one of the most historic events on the ATP Tour, there is no shortage of big names that have tasted victory at the Monte Carlo Masters. Few players have dominated one aspect of the sport as much as Rafael Nadal on clay and the Mallorcan stands streets ahead of the chasing pack with eleven Monte Carlo wins to his name. Novak Djokovic will want to pick up another tournament win here and he has two Monte Carlo trophies in his cabinet. Legends of the game such as Bjorn Borg (3), Thomas Muster (3) and Mats Wilander (2) have all established a strong history with the event.
2019 Tournament Preview
Roger Federer gave the next generation a stark reminder of what it takes at the top level last week with his procession to the Miami Masters title whilst Rafael Nadal will be hoping to return in style to one of his most prolific stomping grounds. Novak Djokovic isn’t his most enigmatic on clay but is still the world number 1, whilst Indian Wells champion Dominic Thiem will come into his own during the clay-court season. Greek superstar, Stefanos Tsitsipas, will also relish the clay courts as will last year’s runner up, Kei Nishikori; but with so many question marks over the big hitters, it could be an open event.
2019 Monte Carlo Rolex Masters Tournament Preview
Men’s Outright Winner Odds:-
Few events on the tour hold the prestige associated with the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters and everyone will be queuing up to challenge Rafael Nadal’s dominance.
Here are some of our favourites for the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters title:-
Rafael Nadal – 11/10 (Bet365)
The eleven-time champion returns to his favoured surface refreshed from a six-week break to conclude the US Hardcourt swing. The Mallorcan’s record in Monaco is unmatched and as he attempts to pick up his 12th title – a record he is also going for at the French Open next month too.
Novak Djokovic – 4/1 (888sport)
The world number 1 has bombed out as his last two events (Indian Wells and Miami) but his dominance across the board in the big events this season has been unmatched. He too will have enjoyed plenty of rest since his defeat to Roberto Bautista-Agut in Miami and could be one to watch here.
Dominic Thiem – 8/1 (Ladbrokes)
The Austrian reached the French Open final last year and consistently plays his best tennis on the clay. He should be full of confidence following his Indian Wells triumph last month and he looks well set to challenge the dominance of the likes of Federer, Djokovic and Nadal.
Roger Federer – 10/1 (Betfred)
As one of the very few events to have eluded Federer in his career, the Monte Carlo Masters looks to carry a certain significance. He reached the final at Indian Wells before winning the Miami Masters and looks to be as good now as ever before. He doesn’t normally play his best stuff on clay but can never be discarded.
Alexander Zverev – 14/1 (BetBright)
The German has struggled so far this year and looks to have lost some confidence in his game but his talents are unquestioned at this level. At the age of 21, he still has time on his side and his entry into the Hassan Open in Morocco could be the ideal preparation for the clay-court season ahead.
Kei Nishikori – 16/1 (Unibet)
Last year’s runner up, Kei Nishikori, couldn’t find any form of note during the US Hard Court swing, but he should be relishing the return to Monte Carlo. With 7 clay-court final appearances to his name throughout his career ‘Special K’ could be one of the men to watch in what could be an unpredictable week in Monaco.
Stefanos Tsitsipas– 20/1 (William Hill)
Few players on the ATP Tour are as exciting as Stefanos Tsitsipas currently and the Greek hotshot will be eager to show his talents here in Monte Carlo. His run to the Barcelona Open final last year demonstrated his clay-court prowess and he will be looking to establish himself in the world’s top 10 with a good week here.