The Monte-Carlo Masters is one of the ATP 1000 events that Novak Djokovic didn't win as often as other tournaments.
Naturally, Djokovic won every Masters event in the calendar and he's done it not once, but twice. But except for two tournaments, he won every event at least three times and he has incredible six titles from Paris, Miami, and Rome, where he was the most successful in the past.
However, the Cincinnati Masters and the Monte-Carlo Masters weren't so successful for the Serb in the past. Djokovic won only twice in the picturesque Monte Carlo Country Club, with his first triumph coming in 2013 and his last in 2015.
Since his last win, the 22-time Grand Slam champion never got past the quarterfinal stages in Monte Carlo, as he was stopped by the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Dominic Thiem over the past few years. He also has the worst win/loss record at the Monte-Carlo Masters out of all ATP 1000 tournaments, having won only 73% of matches that he played there.
But in 2023, Djokovic will have a golden opportunity to succeed at this tournament. Although the Serb met his biggest rival Rafael Nadal at the event only four times and won both of their last two matches, his path to the title will be certainly easier after Rafael Nadal withdrew from the tournament.
Moreover, only a few minutes after the experienced Spaniard withdrew, another Spanish player announced his withdrawal. The teenage prodigy Carlos Alcaraz played against Djokovic only once, but he defeated him in that match and his absence will also make things easier for the Serb.
On top of that, Djokovic is fighting with Alcaraz for a world no. 1 spot at the moment, and with the youngster's absence, the 35-year-old will have a great chance to strengthen his position atop of the rankings.
After the withdrawal of his biggest rivals, Djokovic was presented with the golden opportunity to not only win just his third Monte-Carlo Masters title but also create a bigger gap ahead of his closest competitor in the ATP Rankings.
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