Monte-Carlo Masters 2024: Alex de Minaur vs Stan Wawrinka preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (11) Alex de Minaur vs (WC) Stan Wawrinka
Tournament: Monte-Carlo Masters 2024
Round: First Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Monte Carlo Country Club
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: €5,950,575
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel - USA | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Alex de Minaur vs Stan Wawrinka preview
Eleventh seed Alex de Minaur will square off against three-time Major champion Stan Wawrinka in the first round of the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters.
The first three months of the season were highly successful for de Minaur. While he and his fellow Australians bowed out in the semifinals of the United Cup, it was still a memorable tournament for him.
De Minaur defeated three top 10 players in the tournament, including World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. As a result, he cracked the top 10 of the ATP rankings for the first time. He reached the fourth round of the Australian Open after that.
De Minaur progressed to his first final of the year in Rotterdam but lost to the in-form Jannik Sinner. While he left the Los Cabos Open without a win, he defended his Mexican Open title the following week. The 25-year-old then proceeded to reach the fourth round of the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open.
Wawrinka hasn't had the easiest time this season. He led Adrian Mannarino by two sets to one in the first round of the Australian Open but lost the match in five sets. He then headed to South America for the clay swing but managed just a solitary win across the two tournaments he competed in.
Wawrinka was eliminated in the first round of the Indian Wells Masters by Tomas Machac in three sets. The Swiss' campaign at the Grand Prix Hassan II was off to a strong start as he scored a 6-1, 6-4 win over Albert Ramos-Vinolas. He then blew a one-set lead as he fell to Mariano Navone in the second round.
Alex de Minaur vs Stan Wawrinka head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between the two, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Alex de Minaur vs Stan Wawrinka odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Alex de Minaur vs Stan Wawrinka prediction
While de Minaur's star has been on the rise this year, Wawrinka has faded into the background. With just a couple of victories under his belt this season, the Swiss has struggled to get going.
The Monte-Carlo Masters is one of Wawrinka's best tournaments. He won the title here in 2014 by defeating Roger Federer in a memorable three-set final. He also made it to the semifinals in 2009 and the quarterfinals on three other occasions.
De Minaur hasn't found much success on clay courts, especially in Monte Carlo. He has won just a couple of matches here and has never made it past the second round. However, given the contrasting form of these two players, it's tough to see the Australian fall to Wawrinka in this contest.
Pick: Alex de Minaur to win in straight sets.