Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Monte Carlo match.
Novak Djokovic returns to clay court action still in pursuit of his first final on this surface in 2024. The Serbian is looking to reset after a recent loss in Miami, and last year’s straight-sets defeat to Alejandro Tabilo in Rome (2:6, 3:6) will only add to his motivation. Tabilo has already progressed through qualifying and knocked out Stan Wawrinka, but now faces a significantly tougher opponent.
Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic has won 12 of his 17 matches this season, including a run to the Miami final, where he narrowly lost to Jakub Menšík in two tight sets (6:7, 6:7). His record on clay is even more impressive — he has been eliminated in the opening round just twice in 21 appearances. Since 2017, he has consistently advanced beyond the first round in Monte Carlo, and last year he came close to the final, falling to Casper Ruud in three sets.
Alejandro Tabilo
Alejandro Tabilo endured a difficult start to the season, posting just three wins against eight defeats. He was eliminated in the opening round in six of nine tournaments, and in five of those, his opponents were ranked outside the top 100. Following his surprise victory over Novak Djokovic in Rome last year, Tabilo reached the semi-finals and later claimed a grass-court Masters title, also in Rome. However, he has not lifted another trophy since. In his first match at this event, facing the World No. 163 Stan Wawrinka, Tabilo struggled early, losing the opening set (1:6) before recovering to win the next two (7:5, 7:5).
Novak Djokovic vs Alejandro Tabilo Prediction
Novak Djokovic enters this match with a clear desire to avenge last year’s defeat and has historically performed well in early clay-court rounds. As a result, we are backing a win for Novak Djokovic.
