After an extended down time, Novak Djokovic is finally set to make his return to the ATP Tour at the Monte-Carlo Masters. The world No. 1, who hasn’t competed since February, is already back in training in Monte Carlo ahead of the tournament.
Djokovic is set to go up against a slightly weakened field in Monte Carlo, with Daniil Medvedev joining old rival Rafael Nadal on the sidelines due to injury. But former Grand Slam winner Dominic Thiem and up-and-coming youngster Jannik Sinner are both ready to make some noise after their respective injury setbacks.
Read on below as SBOTOP lists down the latest news and updates on the upcoming Monte-Carlo Masters tournament.
Novak Djokovic back in training ahead of Monte Carlo return
Novak Djokovic has been spotted back on the court and training at the Monte Carlo Country Club in preparation for his first ATP Tour tournament since February.
Djokovic, who was controversially barred from playing in the Australian Open because he remains unvaccinated for Covid-19, also missed out on big tournaments in the USA – namely, Indian Wells and the Miami Open – because of his unvaccinated status.
But despite his relative lack of activity this season, Djokovic is still on top of the ATP Tour rankings after Daniil Medvedev failed to hold on to the No. 1 ranking.
Djokovic is a two-time winner of the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2013 and 2015, and the Monte-Carlo Masters 2022 odds will have him favoured heavily to win his third title, especially with two of his top challengers out of the tournament due to injury.
Daniil Medvedev to miss out due to hernia
World No. 2 and Monte Carlo native Daniil Medvedev will not be taking part in his home tournament after undergoing hernia surgery.
Medvedev made the announcement on social media and revealed that he had been playing with the injury for the last few months.
“Hi everyone. The last months I have been playing with a small hernia. Together with my team I have decided to have a small procedure done to fix the problem. I will likely be out for the next 1 – 2 months and will work hard to be back on court soon. Thanks for all the support,” Medvedev tweeted.
The 26-year-old Medvedev briefly overtook Djokovic for the No. 1 ranking, but he quickly dropped back down after a disappointing early exit at Indian Wells. He had a chance to reclaim top spot by reaching at least the semi-finals of the Miami Open, but he fell just short, losing to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals.
Medvedev joins Rafael Nadal among the high-profile withdrawals for Monte Carlo. Nadal is set to miss up to six weeks due to a stress fracture of his ribs, which he suffered while competing at Indian Wells.
Dominic Thiem on the comeback trail
While Medvedev and Nadal are big names who will miss out in Monte Carlo, one big name is set to make his much-awaited return to big-time ATP Tour action: former world No. 3 Dominic Thiem.
The 28-year-old had a rotten time in 2021 as a wrist injury saw him struggle and eventually sit out most of the season.
But while Thiem faced a trying time amid his injury, the 2020 US Open champion did not think about the possibility of retirement.
“Absolutely not. The injury is severe and really hard, but on the other hand it is very well researched in the tennis world because it happens so often,” Thiem said.
“Therefore, even when it happened the second time, the doctor immediately said that it will take a long time, it’s a very unpleasant injury.
“But every player he has had so far, [including] a lot of [men’s and women’s] number ones, have come back without any subsequent damage. From then on I was very positive that it will be the same for me.”
Thiem made his first ATP appearance since June 2021 at the Andalucia Open Challenger event in Marbella, but he lost in the first round and then tested positive for Covid. However, he should be fit and ready to produce some Monte-Carlo Masters 2022 highlights.
Jannik Sinner seeking to put recent setbacks behind him
Jannik Sinner suffered successive setbacks in Florida. After withdrawing at Indian Wells due to illness, he was forced to retire from his quarter-final match in the Miami Open due to a foot blister.
But the 20-year-old world No. 12 will be hoping he can put those physical problems behind him in Monte Carlo.
“Wasn’t easy to withdraw in Miami. It’s been a bit of a difficult month with my illness at Indian Wells and now this. I’ve taken the last few days to rest and get some advice on my feet going forward. I hope to be ready for Monte Carlo,” Sinner tweeted.
The past two tournaments aside, Sinner is having a strong 2022 season thus far. He is 16-3 on the year and will be looking to improve further upon that record in Monte Carlo.
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