Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz secured his first title at the Monte Carlo Masters on Sunday, defeating Italian player Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-1, 6-0.
It is Alcaraz’s sixth Masters title at just 21 years old, adding to his four-time Grand Slam champion accolades. It is his most significant win since claiming the Wimbledon title last year.
“I’m just really happy to have won Monte Carlo for the first time,” said Alcaraz, who lost in his first match on his only previous appearance at the tournament in 2022.
With this victory, Alcaraz is set to rise in the rankings, taking the No. 2 spot from Alexander Zverev, after fighting back to overcome Musetti, who had previously defeated two Top 10 players, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex de Minaur, en route to his first Masters 1000 final.
Musetti faltered on his opening serve but recovered and competed for the first set, while Alcaraz struggled with his performance. However, the Spaniard regained his composure and elevated his game, dominating the second set with a score of 6-1.
Musetti’s challenges intensified as he began to experience issues with his right leg, prompting treatment while he trailed 0-3 in the final set. He continued to play through the discomfort but could not match the intensity or physicality of Alcaraz’s gameplay.
A silver lining for Musetti is his ascent to No. 11 in the rankings and the potential for further success on clay as the season progresses toward the French Open at Roland Garros next month.
