Rolex Monte Carlo Masters Tennis: The dice are thrown!
Cancelled due to the Covid pandemic last year, the 2021 edition of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, the first big clay court event of the season, promises to be thrilling.
Featuring the Best Three in the World
Organized behind closed doors in order to maximize the safety of the players, but with in particular eight of the ten best players in the world present including the first three in the ATP ranking: the Serbian Novak Djokovic (N ° 1), the Russian Daniil Medvedev (N° 2) and the Spaniard Rafael Nadal (N° 3), excellence is more than ever the watchword of the first ATP Tour Masters 1000 of the season on clay.
The Draw is Completed
For the 56 players in the main draw, the dice are now cast. It was under a beautiful sun, on the terrace of the restaurant “Le Blue Bay” of the Monte-Carlo Bay, official hotel of the tournament, that the virtual drawing took place this Friday, of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters 2021, in the presence of Fabio Fognini, winner of the 2019 edition. The transalpine player declared: “For me Monte-Carlo is a special tournament.”
“I trained for quite a few years here and I have great memories of Centre Court. Unfortunately, this last period has been terrible for everyone and not just for the athletes and I am all the happier to be able to come back to Monaco, next to my home with my relatives who will come and support me. I hope to have the best tournament possible.”
The 2021 tournament is orphan of its greatest ambassador, Baroness Ann-Elizabeth de Massy, who died on June 10, 2020. Marc Maury, master of ceremonies for the draw paid her a vibrant tribute.
Rafael Nadal Competes for a World Record 12th Win
Who will lift the precious trophy on Sunday April 18? Will Rafael Nadal manage to improve his own record with a 12th coronation? Or will the 2021 edition crown an unprecedented winner? The candidates for victory are numerous with a very rich line-up.
At the end of the draw, we are already seeing some good first rounds taking shape, notably with two choice ones: David Goffin (BEL) / Marin Cilic (CRO) or Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) / Cristian Garin (CHI).
Novak Djokovic, world number one, sits in the top half of the draw. He could face the young Italian talent Jannik Sinner, finalist in Miami, in the second round, then the winner of the Florida Masters 1000, Polish Hubert Hurkacz, in the Round of 16. On his way stands Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas who he could meet in the semifinals.
In the lower part of the draw, Daniil Medvedev (n° 2), finds himself with Rafael Nadal (n° 3) Andrey Rublev (n° 6) , Diego Schwartzmann (n° 7) and Fognini. Beautiful players all.
For the French players, Gaël Monfils will meet in the first round the Spaniard Pablo Andujar and Luca Pouille, the Argentinian Guido Pella. For his part, Benoît Paire will face Australia’s Jordan Thompson. If the French players win, they could find themselves against defending champion Fabio Fognini (ITA).
The Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters 2021 is more exciting and uncertain than ever!
Watch the Tournament On-Line or on TV
The tournament takes place behind closed doors, but tennis fans will be able to follow these matches in real time, on the tournament’s official website (www.rolexmontecarlomasters.mc), its mobile application, on social networks as well as on the television channels that run and are broadcasting it around the world, like Eurosport and C8 (Canal Plus) for France, Sky Italia, Eurosport Russia, Sky Deutschland, Tennis Channel US and CCTTV for China.
