Monte-Carlo Masters 2025: Men's singles draw analysis, preview & prediction ft. potential Ben Shelton-Frances Tiafoe QF, Novak Djokovic-Carlos Alcaraz final

The much-awaited draws for the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters were unveiled on Friday, April 4. Though the tournament will miss the presence of World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who is currently serving his doping suspension, the tennis of defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, runner-up Casper Ruud, Carlos Alcaraz, and others is sure to deliver an exciting start to the clay swing.

The top two seeds are World No. 2 Alexander Zverev and World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz. Both men are having quite a tumultuous year, but will look to turn fortunes in their favor during the European clay swing. It is worth noting that both men were the finalists at last year's French Open final, which was won by the latter in a five-set thriller.

Third seed Novak Djokovic and fourth seed Casper Ruud will headline their quarters of the draw, while rising star Jack Draper and three-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas will be the fifth and sixth seeds, respectively. The top eight seeds will receive a bye into the second round.

There will also be mouth-watering opening clashes such as Daniil Medvedev vs Karen Khachanov, Jiri Lehecka vs Sebastian Korda, and Ben Shelton vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to look forward to.

So, without further ado, let's get into the analysis of the Monte-Carlo Masters 2025 draw.

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Top Half: Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, and Stefanos Tsitsipas will look to kick off their clay swing in style

Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters - Source: Getty

Seeded Players: (1) Alexander Zverev, (3) Novak Djokovic, (6) Stefanos Tsitsipas, (8) Alex de Minaur, (9) Daniil Medvedev, (10) Holger Rune, (13) Lorenzo Musetti, (15) Grigor Dimitrov

Dark Horse: Jiri Lehecka

Analysis: Alexander Zverev is in grave need of momentum. The German is coming off a poor Sunshine Double, where he made early exits in both tournaments. The German has made quite a name for himself on clay over the past few years and will look to get his form back before the French Open.

Zverev hasn't been handed an easy path. He will likely kick his campaign off against Matteo Berrettini, following which he may play Lorenzo Musetti, Sebastian Korda, or Jiri Lehecka. Things will only get tougher for him in the quarterfinal, where the German may play Holger Rune or three-time Monte-Carlo Masters champion Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The bottom side of this exciting top half will be headlined by Novak Djokovic, who should be able to make it to the final 4. He faces his rival Stan Wawrinka or Alejandro Tabilo to start his campaign and may continue his run against Nicholas Jarry or Grigor Dimitrov. In the quarterfinal, the Serb will likely play Alex de Minaur, Daniil Medvedev, or Tomas Machac.

Tsitsipas seems to be in his comfort zone while playing in Monte-Carlo, no matter how his form heading into the Masters 1000 event is. The three-time champion should be able to make it to the final 4 to set up a clash with the two-time champion. In this clash of heavyweights, history has favored Djokovic. However, at the Monte-Carlo Masters, the story should be different.

Semifinal prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas def. Novak Djokovic

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Bottom Half: Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, and Andrey Rublev will look to use their prowess on clay to its best

Andrey Rublev at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters - Source: Getty

Seeded Players: (2) Carlos Alcaraz, (4) Casper Ruud, (5) Jack Draper, (7) Andrey Rublev, (11) Ben Shelton, (12) Arthur Fils, (14) Frances Tiafoe, (16) Felix Auger-Aliassime

Dark Horse: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Analysis: The bottom half promises to be yet another outing with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, and Andrey Rublev having a chance to showcase their expertise on clay with their tennis at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

Ruud, who headlines a quarter, will play either Brandon Nakashima or Roberto Bautista-Agut, following which he may play Frances Tiafoe. In the final 8, the Norwegian clay specialist could play any one of Jack Draper, Ben Shelton, or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. It is worth noting that Fokina has performed pretty well on clay over the last few years.

Coming to Alcaraz's quarter, the Spaniard will play the 2019 Monte-Carlo Masters champion Fabio Fognini or Francisco Cerundolo to start his campaign, after which he may play Felix Auger-Aliassime or Richard Gasquet, who is in the final stage of his career. However, now things will get interesting as Alcaraz's quarterfinal opponent is likely to be the 2023 champion Andrey Rublev.

In this mouth-watering clash, Rublev may clinch a hard-fought win against the 21-year-old, following which he will play Ruud in another battle, which promises to delight tennis fans. Though picking a winner here is difficult, the Norwegian's expertise on clay has made him a two-time French Open finalist, a feat hard to overlook when predicting tough matches.

Semifinal prediction: Casper Ruud def. Andrey Rublev

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Monte-Carlo Masters 2025 Final prediction:

In times when ATP tennis has been inconsistent, there is a very good chance that we may see a repeat of last year's final. However, there is also a very good chance that the Norwegian may get his revenge on the Greek for a heartbreaking defeat.

Prediction: Casper Ruud def. Stefanos Tsitsipas