The event was founded in 1896 as the Monte-Carlo International.[2][3] The following year the event officially became known as the Monte-Carlo Championships, also known as the Monte Carlo International Championships, which was a combined men's and women's tournament until 1982 when the women's championships ceased.
History
In April 1896 the first Monte Carlo International lawn tennis tournament was established.[4] The first men's singles was won by George Whiteside Hillyard,[5] according to
Wimbledon librarian Alan Little. He states that the women's event was won by either a Miss K. Booth of Great Britain or a Mlle Guillon of France; despite extensive research, he could not conclusively find the results.[6]
The tournament was originally played on red shale clay courts of the Lawn Tennis de Monte-Carlo in cellars underneath the Grand
Hôtel de Paris until 1905.[7] In 1906 the event and club was moved to
La Condamine where it was played between 1907 and 1914 and again in 1920. It was played briefly on the roof of garage in
Beausoleil an additional three tennis courts were constructed with spectator stands and new club house on 28 January 1921 the new venue was named as the "La Festa Country Club"[8]
It became an "
Open" event in 1969. In 1971 through 1972 and from 1978 through 1989 it was a major tournament of the
Grand Prix Tour. In 1973 the tournament was part of the Rothmans Spring Mediterranean Circuit.[9] From 1974 through 1977 the tournament was part of the
World Championship Tennis (WCT) circuit. In 1990 it became an ATP
Championship Series Single Week tennis event (later called the Masters series). Beginning in 2009, Monte Carlo became the only Masters tournament not to have a mandatory player commitment.
Rafael Nadal won the title eight consecutive times between 2005 and 2012, making him the
only tennis player to win eight consecutive titles at the same tournament. In 2018, Nadal won his eleventh title over
Kei Nishikori, the all-time record.
^
abcdefDigby Baltzell, E. (2013). Sporting Gentlemen : Men's Tennis from the Age of Honor to the Cult of the Superstar. Somerset, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. p. 73.
ISBN9781412851800.
^Ayres' Lawn Tennis Almanack and Tournament Guide and other sources list him as winner, but according to Aujourd'hui 100 Ans 1897–1997 Le Tournoi de Monte-Carlo by Michel Sutter (1997) and other sources the tournament didn't take place.
^Tarran, Bruce (1 June 2013).
"Blanche". George Hillyard: The man who moved Wimbledon. Market Harborough: Troubador Publishing Ltd. p. 143.
ISBN978-1-78088-549-0.
^"TENNIS FINALS AT MONTE CARLO". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. Yorkshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 2 January 1923. p. 3. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
^"Miss Turner wins Monte Tennis final". Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore). Lahore, Pakistan: British Newspaper Archive. 17 April 1963. p. 14. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
The event was founded in 1896 as the Monte-Carlo International.[2][3] The following year the event officially became known as the Monte-Carlo Championships, also known as the Monte Carlo International Championships, which was a combined men's and women's tournament until 1982 when the women's championships ceased.
History
In April 1896 the first Monte Carlo International lawn tennis tournament was established.[4] The first men's singles was won by George Whiteside Hillyard,[5] according to
Wimbledon librarian Alan Little. He states that the women's event was won by either a Miss K. Booth of Great Britain or a Mlle Guillon of France; despite extensive research, he could not conclusively find the results.[6]
The tournament was originally played on red shale clay courts of the Lawn Tennis de Monte-Carlo in cellars underneath the Grand
Hôtel de Paris until 1905.[7] In 1906 the event and club was moved to
La Condamine where it was played between 1907 and 1914 and again in 1920. It was played briefly on the roof of garage in
Beausoleil an additional three tennis courts were constructed with spectator stands and new club house on 28 January 1921 the new venue was named as the "La Festa Country Club"[8]
It became an "
Open" event in 1969. In 1971 through 1972 and from 1978 through 1989 it was a major tournament of the
Grand Prix Tour. In 1973 the tournament was part of the Rothmans Spring Mediterranean Circuit.[9] From 1974 through 1977 the tournament was part of the
World Championship Tennis (WCT) circuit. In 1990 it became an ATP
Championship Series Single Week tennis event (later called the Masters series). Beginning in 2009, Monte Carlo became the only Masters tournament not to have a mandatory player commitment.
Rafael Nadal won the title eight consecutive times between 2005 and 2012, making him the
only tennis player to win eight consecutive titles at the same tournament. In 2018, Nadal won his eleventh title over
Kei Nishikori, the all-time record.
^
abcdefDigby Baltzell, E. (2013). Sporting Gentlemen : Men's Tennis from the Age of Honor to the Cult of the Superstar. Somerset, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. p. 73.
ISBN9781412851800.
^Ayres' Lawn Tennis Almanack and Tournament Guide and other sources list him as winner, but according to Aujourd'hui 100 Ans 1897–1997 Le Tournoi de Monte-Carlo by Michel Sutter (1997) and other sources the tournament didn't take place.
^Tarran, Bruce (1 June 2013).
"Blanche". George Hillyard: The man who moved Wimbledon. Market Harborough: Troubador Publishing Ltd. p. 143.
ISBN978-1-78088-549-0.
^"TENNIS FINALS AT MONTE CARLO". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. Yorkshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 2 January 1923. p. 3. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
^"Miss Turner wins Monte Tennis final". Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore). Lahore, Pakistan: British Newspaper Archive. 17 April 1963. p. 14. Retrieved 13 May 2023.