Rafael Nadal has been sidelined with an injury since January, but the Spanish tennis star is set to make a return soon.
The 2024 Monte Carlo Masters is set to be graced by tennis elite, with Rafael Nadal making a notable entrance using his protected ranking, despite being inactive competitively since the Brisbane International in January due to withdrawals from major tournaments including the Australian Open and Indian Wells Open.
Nadal, the esteemed champion with 11 titles at Monte Carlo, has been sidelined for the past clay-court seasons due to injuries but has earmarked this surface for his comeback at the esteemed ATP 1000 event, hinting at a significant return from April 8-14 in the scenic Principality.
The absence from last year’s clay circuit and the 2022 Monte Carlo Masters underscores the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s anticipation for a poignant return to Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, where his last venture in 2021 saw an unexpected defeat in the quarter-finals by Andrey Rublev.
Amid speculation of retirement, this tournament could mark a historic moment for Nadal, potentially his last at Monte Carlo as he contemplates concluding his illustrious career.
Despite Nadal’s ranking plummeting to No 652, his entry into the tournament is assured through a protected ranking, leaving him unseeded and without a first-round bye in the 56-player draw.
This opens the possibility of early challenging matchups against top 20 players, including Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Grigor Dimitrov, with the prospect of facing a top-eight world player in the second round, depending on the draw’s outcome.
