The clay court season starts in the beginning of April at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters. Can Rafa win his 12th title?
We can expect great tennis and big crowds for this top-level tennis event on the ATP calendar. But what might happen in terms of winners? Comparing odds at sportsbooks is a great place to start when working out who might be likely to do well in 2022.
But what are the current odds telling us for the Monte Carlo Masters in 2022? Although the markets at most sportsbooks might not be opened to access this data as of yet, we have a few more obvious favorites.
Title 12 for Nadal?
There is no doubt that Spanish icon Rafa Nadal is the tournament’s unofficial king. He has won it 11 times, which is the record number of wins by a player in the competition’s history.
Of course, tipping Rafa for a win might have seemed optimistic in the not-too-distant past. Injuries and fitness issues seemed to suggest his career might be ending – but recent form has shown this to be false. Nadal’s Australian Open win in 2022 for example, shows he is firing on all cylinders again and could be tough to beat in Monaco.
What can Tsitsipas offer?
Looking at the previous winner is always sensible when thinking of what to expect from any tennis tournament. Greek ace Stefanos Tsitsipas is set to defend his crown in 2022. But Djokovic will likely be back on the tour by this time as will Dominic Thiem after a long injury time-out. And what to think about young Alcaraz? He has already won an ATP 500 title in Rio in 2022. Surely this would be the next step?
Whatever happens, this is all set to be a brilliant event for tennis fans to catch and an exciting start to the clay-court season.
Who do you think will rule the clay court season in 2022?
