Rafael Nadal is the undisputed ‘King of Clay’. The Spanish superstar has an unprecedented record on clay and has dominated on the surface. The 37-year-old is now set to compete at Monte Carlo again after a gap of 3 years, where he is the most dominant player of all time. Nadal has won the Monte Carlo Masters title 11 times, which is a record for a men’s singles player when it comes to winning one single ATP Masters event.
The Spaniard’s last title win at Monte Carlo though, came in 2018. The Spanish star also holds the record for most consecutive titles at the event having won the title in each year from 2005 to 2012, 8 years in a row.
Rafael Nadal also had a 46-match winning streak at the Monte Carlo Masters alone, which was broken by Novak Djokovic in the 2013 final, as the Serb emerged victorious in three sets. This record too, exists till date when it comes to winning the most number of consecutive matches at any particular professional event.
Nadal has an impressive win-loss ratio in Monte Carlo as well. The Spaniard has won 73 matches out of 79 at Monte Carlo, losing just 6 matches throughout his career. Now, Nadal will be aiming for more success at the Monte Carlo Masters 2024 as he will be using his protecting ranking of No.9 for the event.
Rafael Nadal won his first Monte Carlo title in 2005, beating Guillermo Coria in the final. Until 2012 especially, Rafael Nadal defeated many top stars in the final. The Spaniard defeated Roger Federer thrice, while Novak Djokovic was denied his shot at the title twice in the finals. Other losing finalists to Rafael Nadal include – David Ferrer, Gael Monfils and Kei Nishikori.
Rafael Nadal has used Monte Carlo as the perfect platform for French Open success over the years. The Spanish star is the record winner at French Open with 14 titles to his name and most of them have come after a title triumph at Monte Carlo. Now, the Spaniard will be hoping to do a Monte Carlo and French Open double again in 2024.
Rafael Nadal Monte Carlo Masters participation confirmed by tournament director
Rafael Nadal has officially not confirmed his Monte Carlo Masters 2024 entry. However, firstly, a journalist named Remi Bourrieres from Spain confirmed the news with a tweet in Spanish on X. It translated to ‘Confirmation that Rafael Nadal will be using his protected ranking of No.9 to enter the Monte Carlo Masters draw and that his withdrawal at Indian Wells was just a precautionary measure as his MRI scan results have come back positive.’
Confirmation que Rafael Nadal a fait jouer son classement protégé pour intégrer le tableau final de Monte Carlo. L’iRM passée au niveau du dos n’a révélé aucun dommage. Le forfait à Indian Wells était a priori une simple précaution.
— Rémi Bourrieres (@remibourrieres) March 12, 2024
Secondly, the Monte Carlo Masters tournament director, David Massey in a press conference recently, also expressed confidence at Rafael Nadal coming to the French city for the tournament by seeing the way he practiced.
“You never know what he’s going to do, but I saw him training with his coaches on a private court… and I had the impression I was listening to a wild beast. He hits like he’s never hit before,” Massey was quoted as saying.
“He felt some discomfort, so he was scared and decided not to play at Indian Wells, but the tests he underwent showed nothing.”
