Clay Season 2025: The One To Shake Things Up?
Clay season in 2025 could be absolute chaos. Or could be business as usual. But for once chaos is on the table. Also sharing memories and tips from my time in Monaco.
Welcome back! It’s spring in Europe, and you know what that means: It’s Red Clay Season. Monte-Carlo is on, and it’s just the start of a succession of top events leading to Roland-Garros. With the state of the game right now, I feel that it might be the first time in eons that uncertainty has reigned supreme all around. Are we here for it? Are we fearing a flop? Let’s chat. I’m also sharing anecdotes, tips, and pictures of my time in Monte-Carlo through the years.
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Cheers,
Carole!
THIS CLAY SEASON COULD BE MESSY!
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, will the 2025 clay season be the messiest of them all? Honestly, I might be here for it. Maybe it’ll bring both the drama and the quality of play/rivalries we need to kind of wake tennis up a bit. There’s just something in the air both on the ATP and on the WTA.
Unfortunately for them, the air of entertaining mess we might be smelling now is mainly due to Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek’s struggles. Struggles regarding their higher-than-high standards, let’s be clear. As Alcaraz hasn’t taken advantage of Jannik Sinner being out at all, and as Iga Swiatek is still missing the last step to getting back on track, the rest of the field has grown in confidence. Only Aryna Sabalenka looks fully ready to own her status, and she obviously could be the one sweeping it all. Would Sabalenka shining on Swiatek’s surface be chaos, though? Good question, I guess.
The threats seem to be coming from every corner, from the Baby Gen to the Still Out There Gen. Not even mentioning the horrific stretch of Alexander Zverev’s game. Of course, there’s also a very strong possibility that both Alcaraz and Swiatek will use this clay season to show us all why they’re still The Cream Of The (Clay) Crop. I’d love that journey for them, if it happens, because this 2025 journey would also be a great “They Endured, And Still They Conquered” storyline.
But let’s imagine what could be a state of clay tennis chaos, with both Top 10 that could be totally revamped by the end of the clay season. When is the last time we’ve had so few certainties about the top players at the start of a clay season? The last time with so many new faces coming up to shake the establishment? The last time with such noise coming from off the courts, too, with this lawsuit or that letter from the Top 20 asking for more money? With the Grand Slam events and the Tour still being at odds?
The potential for drama is at an all-time high. Do we love it? Do we fear the sport is tearing at the seams? Both?
Monte-Carlo will be the first and already huge test on the men’s side, while Stuttgart will be the first pressure point on the WTA for Iga Swiatek. Chaos would start here if she weren’t winning it (yes, that’s how ridiculously high she sets that bar). Sure, she lost last year in the semi-finals against Elena Rybakina before winning everything else, which means it’s the only event where she can gain points. But that loss in Stuttgart happened after winning Doha and Indian Wells: it hurt her, but she had a nice mattress of confidence to deal with it. Right now? Nope.
Swiatek, I keep repeating it, is less far from her best than some might think and say. She looked flawless in Indian Wells until she wasn’t, and she came close to the final in Melbourne. Only her loss in Miami is a true red flag for me. She made the right choice in skipping the Fed Cup tie as she needs to cut the noise around her a bit, have some rest, and hit the practice court to fix this serve. I don’t know what happened to that shot, but it risks becoming a liability for her game and mind. Clay season is an unreal stretch for her (if she keeps winning), and right now, she needs to refresh before going through it all again. She was exhausted after last year’s run. I had a chat about it after the Roland-Garros final with her physio Maciej Ryszczuk and with Daria Abramowicz about how mentally rough the situation was for Swiatek in a part of the year where she’s given no right to miss.
Chaos would be on Alcaraz’s way if he were not showing an iron hand. Alcaraz already proved he could arrive at Roland-Garros with a lack of confidence and match play and still win it, sure. But this year, he’s been so up and down that I think he really needs to arrive in Paris with a couple of titles. His game is amazing, yet it needs the fear factor, or you can start seeing rivals exposing the little cracks in the armor. Alcaraz changed his material, but I’m still convinced that his issues are up here in the champion’s brain. Something there is living rent-free and needs to go.
Another player who has a lot on the line right now is, of course, Coco Gauff. She’s a real title contender at Roland-Garros, but not with the state of her game and confidence right now. She has the time to build it back… or to sink it even more. Gauff rising back from her 2025 ashes to shine on clay would be quite the story, but the pressure has surely never been that high on Gauff’s shoulders. What can we say about Elena Rybakina and Zheng Qinwen? For (way) different reasons, they need to get it together asap now, or their 2025 season is going to be a struggle. Clay would be the perfect moment for them to get back on track. If not? Well, that’s chaos in the shape of being at risk of leaving the Top 10. A risk that looks more and more like a reality for Rybakina, who has so many points to defend now (title in Stuttgart, semi-finals in Madrid, quarterfinals in Paris).
To enter chaos, you not only need the stars to blink but also the outsiders to go for the jugular. And this year, they seem especially ready for it. The first name that comes to mind has to be Mirra Andreeva: There is no way the 17-year-old wonder can’t be a huge trouble-maker on that clay season if the mind and the body keep all their eyes on the prize. The pressure on her shoulders is still very light as she’s so young and has been on such a high lately. If she gets going, she’ll be tough to stop again, and she will demand the highest level from anyone wanting to upstage her: Andreeva could be very good news for Swiatek and Gauff as she’ll trigger their pride and ego.
Some outsiders I could see triggering chaos on the men’s side would be Matteo Berrettini, coming back strong, Arthur Fils, Jack Draper, and the Czech trifecta of Jakub Mensik, Tomas Marach, and Jiri Lehecka. I’ll add players like Lorenzo Musetti, Flavio Cobolli, or even Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to the list of “if they take fire…” The absolute agent of chaos-and-hype-drama would be Joao Fonseca, coming on nothing but the poise and carefree mindset of the youth set on the shoulders of an already very solid game. He and his team made a great decision, in my opinion, to take a break from competition for a few weeks right now. A fresh mind and a fresh body could be key for the wannabe-disruptors this year on clay.
And then you have a crop of players who’ve been there for a while already and who could jump on the chaos bandwagon to collect what would be left. Names that come to mind on the women’s side are Jessica Pegula who’s so steady, Elina Svitolina who seems to be back at a great level out there, Amanda Anisimova (the one with the biggest shot in my opinion if she can stay healthy and motivated), Karolina Muchova (serve willing), Paula Badosa (back willing), Clara Tauson, Linda Noskova, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Sofia Kenin 2.0.
As for the men, the obvious ones would be Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Holger Rune, and Andrey Rublev (mind willing, with the help of Marat Safin). I’m tempted to put Daniil Medvedev in there because you never know if there’s a door opening, and he’s in the mood to put a foot in, even on clay. What’s sure is that players like Tsitsipas and Ruud should head into this clay season as if their career depended on it because it might be their chance.
Players who picked the wrong time to struggle: Naomi Osaka (she played one of the clay matches of the year against Swiatek in Paris last year), Barbora Krejcikova (back injury), Ons Jabeur, Jelena Ostapenko (!!), and so let’s sneak Medvedev in there too, Hubert Hurkacz (back injury), Alejandro Tabilo.
There are two pink elephants in the room in this debate: Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic. Both are, in my opinion, chilling in a corner of Alcaraz’s mind, and I’m even more surprised to see Carlos practicing again with Novak. I’m not surprised Djokovic wants to keep these sessions going, though: He’s been managing the toughest rivalries in tennis history; he knows what he’s doing.
Djokovic is a logical contender for anything, so can we consider him an agent of chaos here? He’s chasing n°25, we all know he’s coming for it. Yet, he’s been having such weird stretches for two years now that you never really know what kind of Djokovic you’ll get. Has coach Andy Murray steadied that ship? Could be, but he won’t be in Monte-Carlo, replaced for this week by Novak’s brother Marko. So Djokovic starting to win on clay right now could be chaos, as it’d put Alcaraz in a very uncomfortable situation. The one who was supposed to take over already and who is, on the contrary, fighting to get back at least n°2 and to keep (again) Djokovic away. Boss or wannabe boss no more.
But the irony is even bigger now: Jannik Sinner returning from his 3-month ban and winning would be absolute chaos. Yet the Italian is World No.1. Sure, but the context would make it the thing of a soap opera. There is one good scenario here for Alcaraz, as the return of Sinner will take the spotlight and so the pressure off him a bit. Unless his Italian nemesis comes back too strong.
So you see, the potential is real. Imagine, if you add to all this a potential players’ war with the Grand Slams or if the PTPA lawsuits start to really stir things up with the Tour. On the court and off the court, it could be an entertaining mess; not gonna lie.
BUT there’s also another option that could also be very entertaining. You could see Swiatek and Alcaraz so frustrated by their start of the year that it’d (finally) make them say and think, “I don’t give a f., and they’re gonna see who’s the boss out there,” and just swing freely while tearing through the field in a Revenge Tour. These two very young champions haven’t really been contested so far in their career as they started to win big and to win a lot quite quickly. So now it’s up to them to either react how we all know they can and use this clay season to put their hands back on the game or panic even more, letting their hands slip from their clay hold. Again, clay chaos may await us, or it may not, but for once in ages, the option is on the table.
ATP/WTA CLAY RESULTS:
Jessica Pegula, a finalist in Miami, is back in the Top 3 with this first title clinched on (green) clay, as she triumphed in Charleston against Sofia Kenin (6-3, 7-5). It also means Coco Gauff is no longer the top-ranked American. Amanda Ansismova, who looked so good this week, unfortunately had to retire in the semi-finals (2-5) against Kenin. Anisimova could really do some damage on clay this year, but I’m worried about her body deciding not to cooperate. It’s anyway nice to see Kenin back at this level as she has suck a quirky, tricky and entertaining game style.
Camila Osorio remains queen at home. She won the tournament in Bogota for the third time (2021, 2023, 2024), this time against Polish qualifier Katarzyna Kawa (6-3, 6-3).
Jenson Brooksby kept being on the brink of defeat in Houston, but he still won it all in the end. After saving a match point in the first round of qualifying (Gomez) and three in the second round (Tabilo) of the main draw, Brooksby clinched the first title of his career, beating Frances Tiafoe (6-4, 6-2). Brooksby, who’s just returning from a ban and injuries, got into the tournament thanks to a wild card and clearly made great use of it!
Here’s a player I’m impatient to see reaching the Top 15 for a start: Flavio Cobolli. The game is just as insane as the power he can get going from that forehand. He made a step in the right direction by winning the first title of his career in Bucharest against Sebastian Baez (6-4, 6-4). Cobolli has been having a nightmarish start of the year for some reason and now needs to get going. It was a good week for Italians as Luciano Darderi won his second ATP title (after Cordoba 2024) by beating top seed Tallon Griekspoor in Marrakech (7-6(3), 7-6(4)).
QUESTION OF THE DAY
I asked you what impressed you the most in Miami this year, and you were 50% to say it was Alexandra Eala beating Iga Swiatek. You were also 39% picking Jakub Mensik beating Novak Djokovic for the title and only 6% saying it was Aryna Sabalenka delivering until the end.
And now, let’s talk clay:
WHAT HAPPENS IN MONTE-CARLO…
Ah, Monte-Carlo! The glitz and glam of the Tour. The ATP headquarters and the practice setup of many players throughout the year, too. Also, the tax-free haven of many of these tennis players. Not so long ago, a billionaire was known to set his yacht behind the center court for the day of the final. It was The Place To Be. It remains one of the places to be. The tournament survived the loss of its mandatory status in the Masters 1000 category in 2007 (it was this or being sent out of the category and it was won after players came to its support), and also the fact that its facilities cannot compete with the rest due to how small the area is overall. But the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters has that sea view that few can compete with, and so many - many - rich and influent people per square meter. What happens in Monte-Carlo…
I’ve covered the tournament on-site many times, landing there after the Sunshine Double in what has to be the most glamorous stretch of the season. It was all before Mareterra, the new (luxury) area built on the sea that has replaced the restaurants, shops, and beach walks that were there before, so the pictures below look way different than what the neighborhood looks like this year.
First of all, the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters is NOT in Monte-Carlo. I feel most people know that, but it’s always nice to make sure of it. The tournament is actually situated in the French town of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. The tournament was first played in Monaco in 1897 and stayed in Monaco until 1921, when it moved to Beausoleil. I love Beausoleil. It’s easy: if you cross a street, you’re in Monaco lol. It’s so pretty with some nice shops and a very chic-but-not-snobby vibe. The only issue is the number of stairs one has to use to move around. There’s an elevator (set up in the rock) to go down all the way to the beach area, but my claustrophobia never let me get into it, so I’ve been going through the hundreds of stairs down and up. A thing about me: Nothing will keep me away from the sea.
SOMETIMES, IT GETS AWKWARD…
Anyway, then in 1925 the royals of Monaco and a very rich man decided to give the event the glam it deserved and bought a space in Roquebrune to build the Monte-Carlo country club (opened in 1928). Professional players would get in, in 1969, and the women’s tournament would get out in 1970. One thing is sure: The Casino is in Monaco. I’ve never hit it, but I know it’s a pretty popular place for some of the tennis people ;)
It’s funny because this tournament is surely where Rafael Nadal’s retirement hits the most for me, with Roland-Garros obviously. Every year, I would go to Monte-Carlo for what was, at the time, mainly Rafa season. It’s also where I had my first exclusive interview with him in 2010, which was a funny story. I somehow (I cannot give all the details here as it involves other people) crashed what was supposed to be a two-colleague exclusive with Rafa. I was made to play the third wheel, reporting for what was called at the time Metro France, and the French colleagues were (logically) not that happy about it.
Worse for them? They had planned to interview Nadal in Spanish, but once in the room, Rafa (who knew me from the press conferences) quickly was like “hmmm she doesn’t speak Spanish…”. I was already crashing that party, so I was fine with basically letting the colleagues do it in Spanish and just getting what I could from the recording and from a couple of questions after them. But Rafa being Rafa, he had none of it and said he’d do the whole interview in English because that was the polite thing to do. These two colleagues and I would get along very well through the years after that, but let me tell you that right on this day, they wanted to throw me into the sea. It was nobody’s fault.
Monte-Carlo has always been a good place for getting some big-time exclusives because it’s the start of the clay season, so nobody is too stressed out yet, adding that many players live around, and because the Tour is really keen on having once coverage happening in Monte-Carlo. I got Roger Federer here the year he came back after his knee surgery (I also crashed a party there because apparently it’s a trend) and Novak Djokovic for a magazine cover story. Actually, I had a couple of other awkward interview moment with Nadal here: once when we had to share a way too small for comfort elevator to just go one floor down (I had to tell my claustrophobia to shut it up because no way I was embarrassing myself there) and once when for some reason we suddenly had no quiet space to do the interview (for the cover of a magazine) and we landed in a smaller office/storage where Nadal had to kind of sit on the corner of a table. Telling you, these are the moments you’re happy you’ve known the guy and his agent for years because if not, it’s cold-sweat time.
SLEUTHING NEEDED
The Monte-Carlo Masters 1000 is a place where you need to be smart to get access because teams often go from the court to the car to the hotel. The Bay is right down the street. The setup is so small and quirky that there are very few ways to get to the coaches you’d need to talk to. So you’d find us rushing like mad people, right before the match point sometimes, to get through the crowds and up to the entry of the players’ area up a tiny hill, just to try to corner someone. You’d have colleagues making the round of every way that person could have gone out of the court, after matches or practice, to cover all options. I’ve also spent my fair share of time at the club entrance near the transportation to try to get someone. Then, with more years under my belt, I got enough phone numbers to find other ways. But yeah, in Monte-Carlo, there’s some sleuthing to do to work.
SPOTS TO HIT
Also, there is some gentle elbow fighting when the only chance you have to set up the chat you need is to attend a practice and signal yourself to the coach or trainer you’re trying to talk to. The fans are on in Monte-Carlo. Like, they will pack these practice courts for hours, and they’re defending their territories. Overall you also need to be in shape because the press center is up all the (freaking) stairs and recently they’ve had the great idea to take the interview room out of it to set it up down all the stairs. The same goes for the mixed zone. While letting us up there. My knees have stories.
When you cover a tournament like that, especially a one-week Masters 1000, you don’t have a lot of free time for anything else other than work. Yet, when I could carve any, I’d always do the same things: If I were staying in Menton (tip: much better location as you’re on the sea but it’s cheaper and quieter + there’s a train to the tennis), I’d do the beach walk in the morning and indulge in the pizza place right on the beach in the evening. There’s also a very good restaurant at the Prince de Galles hotel (a good spot, too).
If I were staying at Beausoleil or in Monaco, I’d go for the walk near the beach (that has disappeared) in the evening to relax I (went once at daytime for a meeting with an agent that was conveniently set right on the beach at a restaurant/café) or to get a pizza at the only place where apparently all tennis people used to go. I crossed Toni Nadal often there, and once also Stefanos Tsitsipas roaming the place with an electric skateboard or something for ages. Walking in the city center is also very nice but I cannot tell you about the shopping because my bank account isn’t Monaco-suited LOL. Yet, I went to the Café de Paris as everyone did once, which was fun.
THE BIG 4 ERA
I will confess that I’d also take a selfish here and there and eat my dinner at The Bay: expensive, but it’s really good, pretty, and relaxing. The only issue is that so many players, teams, and families come and go that it can be awkward, hence why I’d usually wait for the end of the week. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of that Japanese fusion something restaurant not far from the stadium that is also very popular with the tennis crowd: amazing food but very expensive, but amazing food. The year I went with a colleague, we saw all the Nadal crew arrive when we were already at dessert. Apparently, it was on their usual food tour.
It’s due to that tennis era, but most of my Monte-Carlo memories are tied to the Big 4: That crazy semi-finals between Nadal and Andy Murray in 2016, the final in 2013 when Djokovic ended Rafa’s reign to clinch his first title there, Novak one year insisting to take the path in the middle of the crowd to go back to the lockers while the security people looked about to pass out, the Rafa-mania at practice where also the security people looked about to pass out, and my phone being nearly obliterated by Rafa during a round table because, rookie mistake, I had put it way too close to someone who speaks with his hands. Also hearing Federer say how scared he was the day of his knee surgery. A lot of decisive tennis moments have happened in Monte-Carlo. And surely, many more will. And so many surely happened that we have no idea about because what happens in Monte-Carlo…
SOME BREAK POINTS…
The ATP Challenger Tour goes premium and to a screen near you. The Tour announced it will broadcast “35 premium tournaments, in 20 countries, across five continents”, thanks to a new partnership with Tennis Channel. They’re also adding more content to the deal as Tennis Channel will also “produce original content highlighting the Challenger Tour’s unique identity and storytelling. This includes player features, off-season training sessions, and expert analysis.”
This partnership and the involvement of ATP media is so far securing rights in the following countries: Austria, France, Germany, India, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, UK, USA, Italy, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Japan, and New Zealand. “We’re raising the bar with tournaments that feel bigger and better, combined with top-tier broadcast production to bring them to life,” said ATP Challenger Tour Vice President Julia Boyadjieva. Indeed, the Challenger Tour’s potential for broadcasting and content creation has so far remained quite untapped. List of where to watch, here.I’m really scared about that because when you add the word “change” to the word “Wimbledon”, my default mode is to freak out. Yet, the way the project is presented looks good, so I’ll guess we’ll trust the process. What is it about? The Hill. THE HILL. Revamping The Hill is a big decision, but Wimbledon is going for it. Why? The Hill is so popular that it needs to expand.
Here’s a before and after:
The Hill now and The Hill in 2027 (CGI imagery of new-look Hill @AELTC/ Allies and Morrison) How? “The planned developments will allow far greater accessible viewing opportunities and will transform wheelchair access to The Hill’s various tiers, including the Orchard and Pergola areas, situated at the top of The Hill. The plans will also deliver more seating through a number of new low retaining walls, which will optimise visibility of the No.1 Court large screen by reducing the gradient of the existing tiers. These changes will allow for an expanded capacity, with a 20% increase in guests enjoying the use of the space. The environment in and around The Hill will be enhanced by removing existing paths and replacing them with permeable pathways, as well as introducing sun shading and rain cover via a new pergola,” said a statement.
When? As soon as the last ball of the 2026 edition is done. Why the rush? The Hill 2.0 needs to be ready and shiny when the 2027 edition comes around, as it will mark the 150th anniversary of the first Championships in 1877.Top players keep confirming and explaining why they’re owed more money from the Grand Slam events. The Grand Slam directors haven’t answered so far. It’s interesting to notice that Wimbledon should be the least inclined to give the players what they want as, as it’s explained here, the AELTC has signed a deal with the LTA to reverse them 90% of its annual surplus until 2053. Wimbledon made £380m in 2023, for example, but once the cost of running the event was deducted, the amount left was £54m, and £49m of that went to the LTA.
Which players are still guaranteed to make more money? The WTA players that will sign for Charleston in the years to come. Why? Because Credit One Bank has extended its title partnership with the tournament through 2031 and will provide equal prize money to players starting in 2026. “We are thrilled to confirm that next year’s Charleston Open participants will receive compensation equal to that of their male counterparts in comparable tournaments. This commitment reflects our dedication to advancing equity both on and off the court as we continue to champion progress and opportunity for all,” a statement said.
In an interview with Italian channel Sky Sports, Jannik Sinner said he still finds his ban “unfair,” but explained it was still the best solution for him. He also says he has no idea how the other players are going to welcome his return in Rome. The World No.1 is banned from competing until May 4.
MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO
Abdominal injuries in tennis are a pain to deal with because they can take ages to heal, are very painful, and can be a long-term threat. One has already derailed Naomi Osaka’s season, for example, and I remember Venus Williams being out of the game for six months and one year due to the same injury. All of this is to say that Taylor Fritz is the latest player to deal with an abdominal injury.
After playing through it since February (He withdrew from Acapulco), the World No.4 is taking a break, and surely at the right time because that type of injury with the longer rallies on clay can’t be a good match. You won’t see Fritz in Monte-Carlo, but he’s still signed to play at the ATP 500 of Munich at the end of the month. “I aggravated an abdominal injury during my semifinal match in Miami, and I will not be able to recover in time to compete in Nimes this week. End of the second set, I felt like I reinjured that thing that I’ve been dealing with,” Fritz said as he had to withdraw from the UTS event in Nîmes. Someone else you won’t see this week in Monte-Carlo is Hubert Hurkacz, who has still not recovered from the lower back injury that pushed him to withdraw from the Masters 1000 of Miami.
EDITOR’S PICKS
READ: From tennis prodigy to basketball star? I’m intrigued!
WATCH: The Residence on Netflix. I finished it, and it’s really good. It’s not earth-shattering, but it’s entertaining. I’ll watch another one with this sleuth. Thank you, Shonda!
LISTEN TO: Kim Clijsters launched her podcast on the same YouTube channel as Andy Roddick.