Monte Carlo Masters 2025 Draw Preview & Analysis

Monte Carlo Masters 2025 Draw Preview and Analysis

Last minute withdrawals and absence of teen stars give Alcaraz, Djokovic and Zverev a good shot

A few top-ranked ATP players have dropped out of the Monte Carlo 2025 Draw Preview, giving established stars like Carlos Alcaraz a foreseeable path. Several young, emerging players have also opted to sit this one out, but the draw is still loaded with old guard talent.

Who is playing Monte Carlo Masters 2025?

Stars such as Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud are playing Monte Carlo. Zverev holds the top seed. World #1 Jannik Sinner continues to serve a drug suspension and will not compete. Taylor Fritz and Hubert Hurkacz withdrew with injuries. Young talents Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca have chosen to rest and train and will not appear until later in the clay season. American Tommy Paul is also foregoing Monte Carlo due to playing in Houston this week.

To the Monte-Carlo 2025 draw preview & analysis…

Will Djokovic play Monte Carlo in 2025?

Not only is Djokovic in the draw for Monte Carlo 2025, but he’s well positioned as the 3 seed. Having Sinner out of competition until Rome is an opportunity for others to amass points and pounce. Factors to consider: The GOAT went deep in Miami, is still seeking title #100, had to travel overseas and will need to adjust to a different surface and different weather. Monte-Carlo can be markedly cooler than Miami. On a positive note, this is Novak’s home club where he practices. He’s lifted the trophy here twice.

Djokovic has a draw with a moderate amount of difficulty. After a bye, he could face Alejandro Tabilo or wild card Stan Wawrinka. Novak famously lost to Tabilo in Rome last year during a lull in performance, but I can’t see him letting that happen again. That said, the difficulty increases with a potential meeting against fellow Monte-Carlo denizen Grigor Dimitrov. Beyond that, Alex De Minaur is the next-highest seed waiting for a potential quarterfinal repeat of last year. De Minaur’s deep run before losing that match to Novak proves he’s not just a hard-court specialist. I would give Demon the edge in 3 sets only because he’s a tad more rested.

Elsewhere in this quarter, circle an interesting first round match between a shaky 9 seed Daniil Medvedev and compatriot Karen Khachanov.

Monte-Carlo 2025 Draw Preview: Zverev Quarter

Zverev helms the top half of the draw and will likely be somewhat relieved at his rival Fritz’s withdrawal. I keep waiting for Zverev to catch a run of stellar play after weeks of subpar performance. The soft and moody clay of Monte Carlo isn’t necessarily the spot for big servers to find their groove. Alex has an interesting situation here. His toughest test could be his opening match against an under-ranked Matteo Berrettini. Here’s my view: Matteo’s record is only 2-3 here. Zverev is an exceptional clay court player. If he can get through this match, he could potentially win the tournament.

Elsewhere in this quarter, 3-time Monte Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas faces Holger Rune, who he has notoriously never beaten at tour level. Circle that potential collision. I see that as a 3-set dogfight, with the winner diminished against Zverev.

Ruud Quarter

In my opinion, clay court aficionado Casper Ruud has the easiest draw among the top 4 seeds, benefiting greatly from the Fritz withdrawal. This section of the Monte-Carlo 2025 draw preview is riddled with players who don’t have a stellar body of work on clay. That includes Brandon Nakashima, Ugo Humbert, Ben Shelton and Denis Shapovalov.

Heavy-ball hitter and Indian Wells champion Jack Draper could give Casper some trouble in a potential quarterfinal, but his serve will be tamed by the clay.

Carlos Alcaraz Monte-Carlo 2025 Draw

The biggest question is how Alcaraz will emerge after significant upsets in the Sunshine Swing. He’s drawn a decently attainable quarter. Francisco Cerundolo, not an easy out, could potentially warm him up to the surface again. Arthur Fils, Gael Monfils and Andrey Rublev also lurk. These are all players Alcaraz can beat if he’s settled, confident and patient.

I’m picking Alcaraz because I like his draw, his favorable head-to-heads and his resilience to play himself through rough patches.

Players to Watch:
QF: Zverev, De Minaur, Ruud, Alcaraz
SF: Zverev, Alcaraz
F: Alcaraz