At the origins
The Monte-Carlo tournament has been part of the Riviera’s sporting history since the end of the 19th century. Official records place the first edition in 1897, at a time when Monte-Carlo was already seeking to structure a social and sporting life around its infrastructure.
In the years that followed, the event gradually established itself as a regular spring fixture, eventually becoming one of the most recognizable tournaments of the clay-court season. Today, it is played at the Monte-Carlo Country Club in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
Monte-Carlo on the ATP circuit: the clay-court Masters 1000
In the ATP calendar, the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters holds a strategic position: it belongs to the ATP Masters 1000 category, the highest level on the tour after the Grand Slam tournaments. This label says a great deal about the event—a deep draw, top-tier players, and a week in which every round already feels like a high-level match.
Monte-Carlo is also a seasonal landmark, as the tournament is played on clay and traditionally opens the major spring sequence on this surface. The distinctive nature of clay further strengthens the tournament’s identity.
The great sporting chapters of the event
The Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters has built its reputation on a simple idea: here, clay crowns the specialists. The most emblematic record remains that of Rafael Nadal, who claimed 11 titles in the Principality, including an impressive streak of eight consecutive victories between 2005 and 2012.
After this “Nadal era,” the list of champions reflects other dynasties, on a different scale: Novak Djokovic has won the tournament twice, and Stefanos Tsitsipas has developed a genuine affinity with Monte-Carlo by claiming the title three times (2021, 2022, 2024). More recently, the tournament has continued to write new chapters with emerging winners such as Carlos Alcaraz.
