Having initially missed out on a wildcard for the Monte-Carlo Masters, Andy Murray will now compete in the event following the withdrawals of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.

Stan Wawrinka, Fabio Fognini, Valentin Vacherot and Jack Draper were initially the recipients of the highly-coveted wildcards, which were announced last week. However, a lot can change in a week, and a lot has happened since that announcement.

Nadal and Alcaraz pulled out earlier this week, with both suffering injuries from which they have not sufficiently recovered. Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gaël Monfils have both since pulled out, leaving room for Murray, who looked to have missed out, to compete in the tournament, which begins on Saturday 8th April.

Murray, who has recovered from two hip operations, hasn’t competed at the Monte-Carlo Masters since 2017. The 35-year-old Scotsman reached the semi-finals of the competition in 2009, 2011 and 2016.

Dominic Thiem returns to Monaco

Another player to profit from the spate of injuries in the lead up to the tournament is Austrian player Dominic Thiem. He benefits from Monfils’ injury, which meant that Draper’s entry was no longer on invitation. Thiem won the US Open in 2020, but hasn’t reached a Grand Slam final since. He has notably suffered with a recurring wrist injury.

Fognini, who was reliant on a wildcard to compete in the event at the Monte-Carlo Country Club, has also had to withdraw through injury, and he is replaced by compatriot Lorenzo Sonego. Wildcards have also been granted to Frenchmen Luca Van Assche and Benoit Paire, whilst Monégasque players Lucas Catarina and Hugo Nys have the chance to feature, but must first pass through the qualifying rounds.

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Photo by Carine06