New Season, New Rivalry
Tennis enters the competitive season on clay courts. Djokovic, Sinner and Alcaraz face different competition.
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Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner was seen chatting with Novak Djokovic (Serbia) after the men's singles semi-finals of the Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia, on Friday (26/1/2024). Sinner defeated Djokovic, 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3. Djokovic and Sinner will be participating in the ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo tournament from 7-14 April 2024.
Can Jannik Sinner extend its success since the beginning of the year? Can Carlos Alcaraz replace injured Rafael Nadal? Can Novak Djokovic return to the best form of his two young rivals?
These questions arise ahead of the ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo, April 7-14. This is the first tournament in 2024 at the Masters 1000 level to take place on clay.
Also read: Sinner Champion and Shifting Alcaraz
After competition on hard courts in the first three months in Australia and the United States, professional tennis competition shifts to clay courts in Europe from April to June. The highlight of this competition is the French Open Grand Slam at Roland Garros which this year will take place at Roland Garros, Paris, 26 May-9 June.
After the competition for top women's tennis players began with the WTA 500 tournament in Charleston, USA, this week, elite men's tennis players will compete in Monte Carlo, the Masters 1000 tournament on clay in addition to Madrid (24 April-5 May) and Rome (8-19 May). All top 10 ranked players participated, including men's singles world number one Novak Djokovic, who missed the Miami Masters 1000 on March 20-31.
Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic hit the ball towards Italian tennis player Luca Nardi during the second round match of the Indian Wells tournament in California on March 11, 2024. Nardi defeated Djokovic, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Djokovic will participate in the ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo tournament, from April 7-14, 2024.
The absence of Djokovic in Miami is a part of his not-so-good journey in 2024. For other tennis players, the results of the Australian Open Grand Slam semifinals and the third round of the ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells might not be too bad. However, with various records held and the ambition to be the best tennis player that never fades, Djokovic has his own standard.
The defeat by Sinner at the Australian Open was the first for him in the past six years. Djokovic owns 24 Grand Slam titles, the most among other male singles players, and holds the record as the world’s longest-reigning tennis number one for 419 weeks.
Also read: Djokovic Enthusiastic about Returning to Indian Wells
After a third-round exit at Indian Wells, he opted to sit out Miami to reset things. He, in fact, made the decision to sever working relations with former Croatian tennis player, Goran Ivanisevic, who has been one of his coaches since 2018 and has been the main coach since 2022.
Djokovic explained that his relationship with Ivanisevic on the court has had its ups and downs, but they remain friends. Meanwhile, Ivanisevic stated that they had reached a point where they could no longer work together. Alongside Ivanisevic, Djokovic has won 12 out of a total of 24 Grand Slam titles.
Currently, I am developing a game for clay. My expectations for Monte Carlo are not too high. I want my peak performance to be in Paris.
The reaction of Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic at a press conference after being defeated by Jannik Sinner (Italy) in the semifinal of the Australian Open men's singles at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia, on Friday (26/1/2024).
After not achieving satisfactory results in the first three months of 2024, he is preparing to enter a new season at the Monte Carlo clay court tournament, a city in Monaco where Djokovic has been living since 2019, in addition to his home country of Serbia. He has won the Monte Carlo Masters twice, in 2013 and 2015, but has never advanced past the quarterfinals in his last seven appearances there.
Djokovic, in fact, has not been able to pass the third round since 2019. His three defeats in the third round were experienced against Dan Evans in 2021, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round of 2022, and Lorenzo Musetti in the third round of 2023. None of them have ever made it to the top ten in the world and have never beaten Djokovic before competing in Monte Carlo.
Also read: Between Djokovic and Gen Z at Melbourne Park
Therefore, many questions will accompany Djokovic's presence in Monte Carlo this time. Can he still prove himself as one of the best clay court players with Nadal absent due to injury? Or, as happened on the hard court last month, is Djokovic under the shadow of a younger generation?
A day before the tournament, on Saturday, Djokovic said that he did not have high expectations at the beginning of the competition season on clay court. He was just trying to build his game on the court with Nenad Zimonjic, a former Serbian tennis specialist in doubles who will join the coaching team. They trained together at Monte Carlo Country Club, where the Monte Carlo Masters will be held.
The reaction of Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic during the quarterfinals of the Australian Open against Taylor Fritz (United States) at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, on Tuesday (23/1/2024).
"At the moment, I am developing a game for clay. My expectations in Monte Carlo are not too high. I want my peak performance to be in Paris," said Djokovic.
Among the young generation who have emerged as strong competitors to Djokovic, Sinner and Alcaraz are the toughest. Sinner, in fact, became the best tennis player in the first quarter of 2024 with three championship titles out of four tournaments, namely the Australian Open, ATP 500 Rotterdam, and Miami Masters. He surpassed Alcaraz, the Indian Wells Masters champion, in the world rankings, from third place to second. Out of 23 matches played this year, Sinner lost only once, in the semifinals against Alcaraz at Indian Wells.
Also read: Sinner Champion and Shifting Alcaraz
However, Sinner does not want to be proud of his achievement. The 22-year-old Italian tennis player believes that the competition on clay fields is different. He also does not want to mention any expectations.
Although he only has one championship title from a clay court tournament, compared to 12 titles from hard court tournaments, the statistics of the quiet-character tennis player on clay courts are not that bad. His winning percentage on clay since 2019 is 68%, better than the 60% win rate on grass courts.
Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Italian tennis player Lorenzo Musetti in the fourth round of the Miami Open on Tuesday (March 26, 2024) or Wednesday (March 27, 2024) WIB in Miami Gardens, Florida, USA. Alcaraz will participate in the ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo tournament from April 7-14, 2024, along with Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.
Test For Alcaraz
Alcaraz's performance this year is not as good as Sinner's. After being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and the semifinals of the ATP 250 Buenos Aires, his confidence grew again when he was able to defend his title as the champion of the Indian Wells Masters.
As a Spanish tennis player who grew up on clay courts, Alcaraz's ability on slow character courts makes him one of the favorites to win at Monte Carlo. His winning percentage in ATP Tour tournaments on clay courts is 80 percent, with his best results being the champion of Madrid Masters 2022 and 2023, as well as a semifinalist in the 2023 French Open.
Also read: Jannik Sinner Gets Sharper
However, there is one thing that could be a hindrance for Alcaraz in Monte Carlo. His experience playing on the court located by the Mediterranean Sea is limited. In his debut in 2022, Alcaraz lost in the second round to Sebastian Korda. The following year, Alcaraz was absent as he was not in a fit condition after reaching the Miami Masters semifinals.
His performance on clay courts in general, as well as Nadal's absence due to a back injury, will make Alcaraz the focus of public attention in Spain. With two Grand Slam titles and having once been the world number one tennis player at the age of 20, Alcaraz is the best candidate to succeed Nadal.
German tennis player Alexander Zverev and Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz during their match at the Indian Wells tournament at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, USA on March 14, 2024. The game was stopped due to a bee attack on the court.
He even aimed for the title of French Open champion as his big target for the clay court competition season. "Roland Garros is a special tournament for Spanish tennis players because of what Rafa has achieved. For me, it would be truly amazing if I could win it, even just once. I will try," said Alcaraz when receiving an award at the National Sports Award event in Spain on April 4.
Also read: Getting rid of Alcaraz, Grigor Dimitrov thwarts competition for the top four in Miami
Alcaraz stated that after reaching the quarterfinals in 2022 and semifinals in 2023, his target for this year is to reach the final or become the champion. He is very enthusiastic about the competition switching to clay courts. (AFP/REUTERS)
