The clay-court season is up and running, and the first major event in the two-month-long clay swing of the season is the Monte Carlo Masters 2021. Although the event is stacked with players, it is still an optional ATP Masters 1000 tournament, thus many players have withdrawn for better match practice or because of injuries. Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem are among the elite names missing from the event, among others.

Dominic Thiem

World No.4 Dominic Thiem is the topmost ranked player to not play in this year’s Monte Carlo Masters. The Austrian has had a rough start to 2021. He has underperformed and is on a two-match losing streak as well. According to his manager, he is not injured but is well below his preparation levels with respect to the clay court.

Roger Federer

Monte Carlo has been Federer’s Achilles heel. He has not won a single title there and lately hasn’t been participating much in the event. Federer made his much-anticipated return to tennis in Doha last month but suffered a second-round exit. He is preparing to play some clay-court tournaments and is thus preparing for them.

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Gael Monfils

Monfils recently got engaged to World No.5 Elina Svitolina and thus understandably is not in Monte Carlo.

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Milos Raonic

Like many other players, Raonic is under-prepared for the clay-court season. He suffered defeat at the hands of the eventual champion, Hubert Hurkacz in Miami Open 2021. So, to prepare himself for clay, he is not playing in Monte Carlo.

Stan Wawrinka

Stan Wawrinka is a very good clay-court player. He is a three-time Grand Slam champ and a former winner in Monte Carlo, but injuries have plagued him for the past few years. He recently underwent surgery, which will keep him out for at least four weeks.

Karen Khachanov

Karen Khachanov has had an inconsistent couple of years on the tour. His 2021 isn’t off to a flyer and in the Miami Open he suffered an early-round loss, thus to prepare for the clay-court season he is not playing in Monte Carlo.

Borna Coric

Borna Coric last played at the ATP Rotterdam Open back in mid-March. Since then, he has been dealing with an injury that has kept him out of Monte Carlo.

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Nick Kyrgios

Kyrgios has been traveling less since the coronavirus pandemic began. Thus, with the rise in cases, Kyrgios withdrew late from the main draw of Monte Carlo Masters.

John Isner

Former American number one, John Isner also withdrew from the Monte Carlo Masters after he recently participated in the Miami Open.

Kei Nishikori

Nishikori has been dealing with injury niggles and thus has played less in the past few years. He will be practicing for clay and will begin his season on the dirt from Barcelona Open.

Reily Opelka

The tall American, Reilly Opelka, has also withdrawn from Monte Carlo Masters after recently playing in the Miami Open.

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