Novak Djokovic has confirmed he will miss this year’s Monte-Carlo Masters, bringing an end to a 15-year streak at the Masters event.
The Serbian, who used to live in Monte-Carlo, was ever present at the first clay court Masters event of the ATP Tour season.
Despite Djokovic ending Nadal’s unbeaten Monte-Carlo record in 2013, the 24-time Grand Slam champion has a surprisingly poor record at the Masters event.
Djokovic has played the Monte-Carlo Masters more than any other Masters event, but he’s only won it twice.
Novak Djokovic’s strange Monte-Carlo record
While Djokovic’s 39–16 win-loss record at the Masters event equates to a 71% win rate, that is by far his worst record out of the nine ATP 1000 events.
Only his Madrid Open record, which is a 75% win rate, comes close to his comparatively poor form in Monte-Carlo.
And it’s not for the want of trying on the part of the Serbian.
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Djokovic has played the Monte-Carlo Masters 18 times, which is his joint highest alongside the Italian Open.
In that time, the Serbian has only managed to win the event twice – which came in 2013 and 2015. Djokovic has won every other Masters event more than twice.
Of those 18 appearances, Djokovic has been eliminated before the quarter-final stages in eight different years.
In 18 appearances, Djokovic only made the final four times, which is a staggering low for just how good he has been on the ATP Tour.
Where Novak Djokovic is expected to play next
Djokovic has not played a tennis tournament since Indian Wells, after pulling out of Miami and Monte-Carlo.
However, the 24-time Grand Slam champion is not expected to be away from the court for too much longer.
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According to Madrid Open tournament director Feliciano Lopez, Djokovic is still slated to play his clay court event.
He said: “He’s keen to come to Madrid, that’s what I’ve been told. Obviously, we know Djokovic’s schedule lately is what it is. He has the ability to play very little and still be fighting for the big titles at almost 40 years old.
“What I think is that he’s keen to come to Madrid, so it’s one of his priorities of the clay court season, obviously after Roland Garros.
We have to be very respectful of this because he plays so infrequently and chooses his tournaments so specifically and precisely… We have to be cautious, but if everything goes well, we’ll have Djokovic in Madrid too.”
Djokovic has won the Madrid Open three times, with his last victory coming back in 2019.
