Monte-Carlo Masters: A Look Back at Past Champions

One of the most iconic events in tennis, the Monte Carlo Masters is a title that most will dream about winning during their career. Some of the greatest champions of all time prevailed at the Masters 1000 event, though there have also been a few surprises.

The defending champion in Monte Carlo, Rublev won his first and currently only Masters 1000 title 12 months ago. Seeded fifth, Rublev beat the likes of Karen Khachanov on his way to the last four, where he rallied from a set down to beat eighth seed Taylor Fritz and make the final. There he faced sixth seed Holger Rune, a man who already had a Masters 1000 title under his belt after winning in Paris towards the end of 2022. But, despite trailing by a break in the decider, Rublev battled his way to a 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 victory and claimed the biggest title of his career to date.

Consecutive victories in Monte Carlo are the biggest titles of Tsitsipas’ career to date outside of his 2019 ATP Finals victory. The fourth seed at the event three years ago, the Greek – seeded fourth – took advantage of a wide-open draw to claim his first Masters 1000 title, not dropping a set on his way to the title. Tsitsipas downed surprise semi-finalist Dan Evans for the loss of just three games to reach the final, where he beat Rublev 6-3, 6-3. Twelve months later he overcame Diego Schwartzman in a lengthy three-set quarterfinal, before easing past second seed Alexander Zverev in straight sets to reach the final once again. And Tsitsipas, the third seed, saw off the challenge of shock finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, completing a successful title defence with a 6-3, 7-6(3) triumph.

Perhaps the most surprising name on this list is Fognini, who produced the week – and the win – of his life to claim his sole Masters 1000 crown. After a round two walkover from Gilles Simon, the 13th seed shocked third seed Zverev in straight sets to reach the last eight, where he rallied from a set down to beat ninth seed Borna Coric. But it was in the semi-final he produced perhaps the best match of his career, stunning second seed and the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, with an astonishing 6-4, 6-2 win. And there was no letdown for the mercurial Italian come the final, where he defeated the unseeded Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4 for the biggest title of his career.

It is hard to find appropriate superlatives to describe Rafael Nadal’s Monte Carlo Masters title haul. Nadal won eight straight titles from 2005 to 2012, and then won three in a row from 2016 to 2018, beating some of the greats of the game along the way. The Spaniard’s first title saw him beat Guillermo Coria in four sets in 2005, before three straight final victories over Roger Federer from 2006 to 2008. He also beat Novak Djokovic in two finals in 2009 and 2012, while compatriots Fernando Verdasco and David Ferrer fell to him in 2010 and 2011 respectively. A third Spaniard, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, lost to him in the 2017 final, while he also downed Gael Monfils in 2016 and Kei Nishikori in 2018.

It has been slim pickings for several players in recent years thanks to Nadal’s dominance, but Djokovic has twice been able to lift one of the most famed titles in tennis. And his 2013 title was perhaps the most significant, where he snapped his great rival’s stranglehold over the event. In one of the best displays of his career, Djokovic stunned the Spaniard 6-2, 7-6(1) to end Nadal’s eight-year reign at the event. And two years later the Serbian was back on top spot at the Masters 1000 event, edging past Tomas Berdych 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to claim the title once again.

A matter of months after winning the first of his three Grand Slam titles, Wawrinka claimed the only Masters 1000 title of his career in scintillating fashion. Seeded third at the event, Wawrinka did not drop a set on his way to the last four, beating the likes of Marin Cilic and Milos Raonic on his way to the latter stages. He then managed to down sixth seed David Ferrer in straight sets, claiming a 6-1, 7-6(3) over the man who had just beaten Nadal in the previous round. Wawrinka was under the cosh in the final against compatriot Federer, but won a crucial second set tiebreak and eventually prevailed 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2.

Thanks to Nadal’s dominance, you have to go back 20 years to reach the seventh and final man to complete this list. And it is the man who Nadal beat to win his first crown in 2005 who came into that event as the defending champion, with Coria one of the strongest clay courters of his era. After dropping just one set on his way to the last eight, third seed Coria downed compatriot David Nalbandian in straight sets to reach the semi-final, where he battled past Marat Safin to reach the final. Coria was up against fourth seed Rainer Schuttler in the final but the German proved no match for the Argentine, who dominated the final and prevailed 6-2, 6-1, 6-3.