Carlos Alcaraz is a man on a mission, trying to regain the momentum that he had especially in the first half of the 2023 season. He will be playing his third clay court event of 2024 at the Monte Carlo Masters soon but his draw is tougher than compared to the likes of Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.
The Spaniard is seeded third at the event and has received a bye in the opening round. But in his first match, Alcaraz will mostly face Felix Auger-Aliassime. Augur-Aliassime is one player who has Alcaraz’s number more, winning 3 out of their 5 matches so far against each other. But Alcaraz beat him at Indian Wells 2024, which is the last time they played each other and the World No.3 is expected to make it another win on the trot against the plucky Canadian.
After that, the third seed could take on Dubai Open 2024 champion Ugo Humbert in the fourth round and that would be the first meeting between the players. Humbert is yet to find his form on clay, as he has been playing well on hard courts. Alcaraz can expect shorter rallies and volleys in the third round. He will look to use some of his drop shots and lobs to outsmart Humbert.
The 20-year-old then has a potential clash against Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals. He currently has won all four matches against Ruud. The Norwegian player has played Alcaraz once every year since 2021. Alcaraz is expected to have a smooth sailing against Ruud in their first meeting of the season.
However, Casper Ruud on clay is always a dangerous proposition for most players on the ATP Tour. Ruud has made it to back-to-back French Open finals in 2022 and 2023, losing only on the last hurdle to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic respectively. With Ruud becoming leaner and considering that not many players currently are proficient on the surface, Ruud has a golden opportunity to end his losing streak against Alcaraz. The match is expected to be the most anticipated in the Monte Carlo Masters 2024.
The semifinals of the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters will be a tougher test for Carlos Alcaraz as his opponent could well be the No.1 seed and 2-time champion, Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz has beaten Djokovic on clay previously, which was at the Madrid Masters in 2022.
In the championship match of the Monte Carlo Masters, Carlos Alcaraz could once again face either No.2 seed Jannik Sinner or the No.4 seed, Daniil Medvedev. Alcaraz handed Sinner his first loss of the 2024 season at Indian Wells in the semifinals. It could be their second meeting on clay, and the third seed would be eager to record his first win over Sinner on the surface.
Meanwhile, Medvedev has been suffering painful defeats in finals this season. It first happened in Melbourne and then in Indian Wells. The Russian will be seeking revenge over Alcaraz at Monte Carlo Masters. But Alcaraz has been in fine form against Medvedev and has not dropped a set in their last two matches. He will aim to continue the record in the finals.
Carlos Alcaraz projected road to the finals at Monte Carlo Masters 2024
Second Round – Bye
Third Round – Felix Auger-Aliassime or a qualifier
Fourth Round – Ugo Humbert
Quarter-Final – Casper Ruud
Semi-Final – Novak Djokovic
Final – Jannik Sinner/ Daniil Medvedev
