Carlos Alcaraz claimed his maiden Monte Carlo title on Sunday, overcoming Lorenzo Musetti in a three-set battle that ended 3-6, 6-1, 6-0. The Italian, struggling with a right leg injury during the final set, was visibly hampered as the match progressed, allowing Alcaraz to dominate the final stages.
The win marks Alcaraz’s sixth Masters 1000 title and his 18th tour-level triumph. With this victory, the 21-year-old Spaniard is set to rise to No. 2 in the ATP world rankings. The Monte Carlo Masters had previously eluded him, making this a particularly sweet milestone in his young career.
Musetti, playing in his first Masters 1000 final, had started strongly. He broke Alcaraz twice in the opening set to take the lead. But the momentum shifted dramatically in the second set, as Alcaraz responded with two breaks of serve to level the match.
By the third set, Musetti’s movement was clearly restricted. He received medical treatment when trailing 0-3 but was unable to recover, managing just three points in the final three games.
“This is not the way I want to win a match, I really feel sorry for him,” Alcaraz said in his post-match interview. “Just really happy to have won Monte Carlo for the first time. It’s been a really difficult week with a lot of tough moments. I’m proud of how I handled everything.”
Alcaraz had come into the tournament seeking form after an early exit in Miami. His road to the final included a hard-fought semi-final win over fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, where he required six match points to close out a 7-6 (2), 6-4 win.
For Musetti, the defeat was a disappointing end to what had been an impressive run. Ranked 13th in the world, the 23-year-old Italian had beaten defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals before edging past Australia’s Alex de Minaur in a tense semi-final encounter.
The final was brought forward by three hours due to a forecast of heavy evening rain in Monaco. Despite the abrupt scheduling change, fans witnessed a strong opening set from Musetti and an impressive turnaround from Alcaraz, whose fitness and determination proved crucial in the closing stages.
Having already won the French Open and secured a silver medal at the Paris Olympics last year, Alcaraz’s triumph in Monte Carlo further strengthens his reputation on clay. It was his third consecutive final on the surface, and yet another sign of his growing stature in men’s tennis.
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