The “rising missile” awaits Djokovic in “Monte Carlo”

Monte Carlo (AFP)
World number one Novak Djokovic will return to the courts in Monte Carlo next week, where he may meet the promising and rapidly rising Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.
But Djokovic, who begins Monday his 365th week at the top of the world rankings of professional players, has played only one round in four months.
After his famous deportation from Melbourne for not being vaccinated against the Corona virus, and depriving him of a tenth title in Australia, the Serbian only appeared in Dubai, where he was not forced to receive the vaccine and played only three matches last February.
His refusal to receive the vaccine meant he was absent from the Indian Wells and Miami Masters courses.
While Djokovic was absent from the scene, a new name emerged with a strong rise, as the 18-year-old Alcaraz dazzled the world of yellow football, when he became the third youngest winner in Miami.
As a result of the draw, the 34-year-old Djokovic, who has won twice in Monte Carlo, may meet the Spanish strongman in the quarter-finals.
Unlike Djokovic, Alcaraz rarely missed the game in 2022, playing 20 matches in which he lost only twice.
It rose from 133rd in the world to eleventh in the space of a year.
In addition to his coronation in Miami, Alcaraz embarrassed fellow legend Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells before losing to him in the semi-finals.
Alcaraz said: “I have always looked up to Rafa, I have always watched his highlights and matches and learned a lot from her.”
El Matador was the first to congratulate Alcaraz after his coronation in Miami, referring to a “historic” victory.
Nadal took advantage of Djokovic’s absence in Melbourne, setting the record for the number of grand slam titles “21”, but the 35-year-old will miss Monte Carlo, where he won a record 11 titles, due to a rib injury in Indian Wells during the loss in the final against American Taylor Fritz.
The Spaniard is hoping to be fit to compete in Madrid later this month, as part of his aspirations to participate in the Roland Garros tournament on dirt, as he seeks to consolidate his superb record and win the 14th title in his rich career.
And Monte Carlo, ranked second in the world, will also miss Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, who has been absent for up to two months because he underwent surgery to treat a hernia.
The world’s sixth-ranked Italian, Matteo Berrettini, is also absent, after undergoing an operation on his hand that will also exclude him from the Madrid and Rome tournaments.
Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas holds 3 titles on dirt out of seven in his career, knowing that the Monte Carlo title is the only Masters in his coffers.
Last year, he reached the Roland Garros final, bowing to Djokovic, squandering his lead by two sets. But the Greek lost in the third round in Indian Wells and the final price against Alcaraz in Miami.
The Greek may meet with German Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals, if he overtakes Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals and Russia’s Andrey Rublev, the eighth and runner-up of the last edition.
The 37-year-old Swiss veteran, Stanislas Wawrinka, won the 2014 edition when he beat fellow legend Roger Federer.
The former three-time world champion has fallen to 236th in the world after undergoing two operations on his left foot last year. His last match in the professional tournaments returns to the Qatar tournament in March 2021.
He participated in a modest tournament in Marbella last month, but lost in the first round to Sweden’s Elias Emer, ranked 131 in the world.
This tournament marks the beginning of the farewell journey of the French former world number five Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who will retire after his participation in Roland Garros.
The current Monte Carlo edition will be held in front of a full audience for the first time since 2019, after the 2020 edition was canceled and 2021 was held behind closed doors.