“He’s saving himself for Roland Garros”: Monte Carlo Masters plans Rafael Nadal tribute in 2026

Monte-Carlo Masters director David Massey has confirmed that there will be no tribute to Rafael Nadal this year, but they are looking forward to honouring him in 2026. According to Massey, they decided to postpone the tribute so Nadal could first receive his honours at Roland Garros.

A few days ago, the 2025 edition of the Monte-Carlo Masters was officially presented. The tournament will take place from 5 to 13 April and marks the first Masters 1000 event on clay courts this season.

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One of the questions posed to Massey was about a possible tribute to Rafael Nadal after his retirement. The Spaniard won the tournament 11 times — eight of them consecutively between 2005 and 2012, followed by a 'triple' victory from 2016 to 2018.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion had planned to compete in the 2024 edition, aiming to add to his impressive 73-6 record (92%) at the event. However, injuries forced him to withdraw, delaying his return to the courts by a few weeks.

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Monte Carlo is the Masters 1000 where Nadal enjoyed the most success in terms of titles, victories, and win percentage. In what will be the first year without Nadal as a professional player, many expected a tribute during the tournament — something Massey ruled out, at least for now.

"I understood that he’s saving himself for Roland Garros. So, he’ll go to Roland Garros — I believe everything is already planned with them," the tournament director told RMC Sports. "It will be a big moment at a tournament that has meant so much to him. We’ve set our sights on 2026. We understand that he wants to keep all of that (the tributes) for this year at Roland Garros. But we’re eager to see him in 2026."

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