Nadal plans to play the Monte Carlo Masters; Wawrinka not in the field
Rafael Nadal is scheduled to play the Monte Carlo Masters, which would be his first event since the Australian Open.
Nadal led the official field announced this week by the tournament, which also includes another five Top 10 players.
Not among them is Stanislas Wawrinka, the winner of the event in 2014. The 32-year-old hasn’t played since Marseille because of more problems with his knee, which needed a pair of surgeries in 2017. Wawrinka has not specified a date for his return.
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Nadal, meanwhile, retired with an upper leg injury at the Australian Open, and then withdrew from Acapulco when he re-injured the same leg. He has said he plans to return for the clay season.
World No. 1 Roger Federer is also not playing, having said he will either not play on clay or play a lighter schedule during this period.
Wawrinka or other top names could take a wild card into the tournament, where participation is not required like other Masters events.
The three-time Grand Slam champion has to be thinking about a possible return to the Top 10 this year, but he is only No. 22 in the world and needs to start playing more.
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