Expect more than tennis from Stefanos Tsitsipas and Novak Djokovic at this year's Monte Carlo Masters 1000

Wake up and smell the clay. 🧱😌

Players are flocking from all over the world to compete in the first clay ATP Masters 1000 event of the year—the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in Monaco, where the red clay is as bright as the sunlight reflecting off the Mediterranean Sea.

Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz are the top three seeds leading the field, followed closely behind Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic—the lateter who is still on the prowl for his 100^th singles career title.

We're keeping an eye on two-time champion Djokovic's every off-court move as well at this tournament, too. Last year, he met Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz in Monaco—while George Russell, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc more F1 drivers were spotted in the crowd on Court Ranier III.

Although Formula 1 won't be returning to Monaco until May, there are still many notable happenings throughout the Principality that are perfect for player-spotting throughout the week.

One standout on the social calendar is the Monte-Carlo Star Festival, which returns for a fifth edition on Thursday, April 10 to celebrate fine-dining at the Hotel de Paris—just a five-minute drive away from the Monte-Carlo Country Club, the tournament's venue.

Sounds perfect for an early-round loss, or maybe to satisfy a pre-semifinal pick-me-up?

We're also keeping an eye on Stefanos Tsitsipas, the defending champion and the active player with the most Monte Carlo titles to his name. A year-round resident of the Principality, the Greek player frequently shares his favorite spots—and fast cars—on social media.

Two-time finalist Andrey Rublev, who won this event in 2023, returns as a more confident self this year with new coach Marat Safin in his corner.

Zverev, Alcaraz, and British No. 1 Jack Draper all have Masters 1000 titles to their name—with Draper claiming his first at Indian Wells—and all are looking to be named champions in Monaco for the first time.

Read More: ATP storylines we’re following from Sunshine Swing to clay

Casper Ruud and Alex de Minaur, meanwhile, are the only players in the Top 10 rankings that have yet to win a Masters 1000 title. Ruud was last year’s finalist, not to mention a player who has exceled previously on clay courts, while de Minaur has reached the quarterfinals across a number of clay court Masters 1000 and is looking to breakthrough further this year.