The European clay-court swing begins this week with the 119th edition of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, as many of the ATP Tour’s biggest names head to the Mediterranean for the first major clay event of the European season. The tournament runs from April 5 through April 12, with qualifying beginning on April 4.
Although the event is branded as Monte Carlo, the tournament is played at the Monte-Carlo Country Club in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, just across the border from Monaco. The setting remains one of the most distinctive in tennis, with clay courts overlooking the Mediterranean and a tournament that routinely serves as an early measuring stick for the run toward Roland Garros.
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz arrives as the headline name in the field after winning the 2025 title, and he is joined by Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev at the top of a strong draw. Tournament organizers said in March that 18 of the world’s top 20 players were expected in Monaco, underlining the event’s importance even before the clay season fully settles in.
One major name will be missing. Novak Djokovic withdrew from the tournament on March 27 because of the right shoulder injury that also forced him out of the Miami Open. Reuters reported that the two-time Monte Carlo champion has not played since Indian Wells, where he lost in the round of 16 to Jack Draper.
The tournament has also lost Taylor Fritz, another notable withdrawal from the original entry list. Even so, the field still includes several established contenders and dangerous clay-court names, with Lorenzo Musetti, Alex de Minaur, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime among the players expected to shape the week.
The main-draw story is not only about the favorites. Monte Carlo has also handed out wild cards to Stan Wawrinka, Matteo Berrettini, Gael Monfils and 17-year-old French prospect Moïse Kouamé. Organizers have framed Monfils’ appearance as part of his farewell season, while Kouamé arrives as one of the most intriguing young names in the draw after an encouraging start to 2026.
The official draw ceremony is scheduled for Friday, April 3 at 5 p.m. local time at the Monte-Carlo Bay, with Alcaraz set to attend as reigning champion. That ceremony will effectively launch a week that often sets the tone for the European clay season, especially for players trying to establish rhythm before Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros.
Main-draw play begins Sunday, April 5, after qualifying opens the event on Saturday, April 4. According to the provisional schedule, first-round singles and doubles matches run through April 6, with second- and third-round play following on April 7 and April 8. The quarterfinals are set for Friday, April 10, the semifinals for Saturday, April 11, and both the singles and doubles finals for Sunday, April 12.
Off the court, the tournament continues to project itself as one of the showcase stops on the ATP calendar. Organizers said the 2025 edition drew more than 150,000 spectators and generated major international exposure across broadcast and digital platforms, reinforcing Monte Carlo’s place as both a prestige event and a major commercial stop on the spring calendar.
Prize money for the 2026 event stands at €6,791,465, according to tournament information cited by multiple event previews, though a full official round-by-round breakdown had not yet been posted on the ATP or tournament site at the time of writing.
For fans, the tournament offers the first real look at how the men’s tour may take shape on clay in 2026. Alcaraz returns as defending champion, Sinner arrives carrying momentum after his hard-court success in March, and the absence of Djokovic removes one of the sport’s most familiar clay-season storylines before the European swing even fully begins.
