The most glamorous tournament in tennis kicked off this Sunday as the Monte Carlo Masters returned to Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. Before the break points and Birkins returned to the Monte Carlo Country Club, however, Prince Albert of Monaco led a moving ceremony in honour of one of the competition's most dedicated supporters, his cousin, Baroness Elizabeth-Ann de Massy.
The Baroness served as vice president of the Monte Carlo Country Club between 1972 and 2008 before succeeding her mother, Princess Anoinette, as the president until her death in 2020. De Massy was also the head of the Monaco Tennis Federation from 1988, overseeing a four-decade reign that saw the Monte Carlo Masters become one of the most desirable tickets on the ATP tour.
It was fitting then that Prince Albert was accompanied by the Baroness’s daughter, his cousin, Mélanie-Antoinette de Massy, in a ceremony to renamed Court Two of the club as ‘Court Elizabeth-Ann de Massy’. Mélanie-Antoinette has followed in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother as President of the Country Club and tennis federation, continuing her family’s reign as the powerhouse dynasty behind Monégasque tennis.
The biggest names in tennis have gathered to do battle for the Monte Carlo Masters trophy, including Jack Draper (fresh from his stellar win at Indian Wells), Carlos Alcaraz, and Alex de Minaur (who will no doubt be supported by his finacée, British women’s number one Katie Boulter). Prince Albert and Mélanie-Antoinette met with previous champions after unveiling a plaque bearing their relative’s name, greeting Novak Djokovic and three-time winner Stefanos Tsitsipas on the clay of the court. Not that it would be too extravagant of a voyage for the two players, both of whom live in Monte Carlo.
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Prince Albert’s cousin, who last year accompanied him to the royal box at Wimbledon, gave a moving interview to Point de Vue in 2023, reflecting on the enduring connection between the de Massys and tennis in Monaco. ‘I am deeply attached to the club, the tournament and the federation,’ she said. ‘Monegasque tennis is the rhythm of my life.’ For three generations, the family have worked as president and vice president in mother-daughter pairs, with Mélanie-Antoinette serving alongside her mother.
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The Monte Carlo Country Club has been at the heart of the Monégasque tennis world (despite technically being in France) since it was inaugurated in 1928 by Prince Louis II, who was joined by King Gustave V of Sweden, the Duke of Connaught, Prince Nicolas of Greece, the Grand Duchess Helene and the Grand Duke André of Russia.
There had been a previous locale, this one actually sitting within the boundaries of the principality. In 1925, however, American benefactor George Butler watched Suzanne Lenglen play at the tournament in Monte Carlo and decided that the courts were ‘unworthy of her talent’. He convinced the powers that be, including Prince Louis, to create a new club, which was eventually designed by the architect Charles Letrosne in roaring 20s Art Deco style.
Nowadays, the Monte Carlo Masters, the oldest clay tournament in the world, is the jewel in the crown of the tennis tour, as Morgan Riddle, the impeccably-dressed girlfriend of US Number One Taylor Fritz, told Tatler. ‘It’s just insane wealth,’ she said. ‘Everywhere you go, it’s just insane cars, everyone is dripping in designer clothes. It’s just that bit flashier.’
The tournament is Monaco’s second biggest earner after the Grand Prix – and Prince Albert is ‘extremely involved’. The glamorous Monégasque royals often attend finals day: from Prince Jacques and his mother, Princess Charlene, to Pierre Casiraghi and Beatrice Borromeo. In other words: plenty to look forward to for tennis fans and royal watchers alike.
