MONTE CARLO - World number three Carlos Alcaraz records a three-set triumph over Italian Lorenzo Musetti to capture his sixth Masters 1000 crown, becoming a first-time champion at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, his 18th career tour-level title overall, on Sunday.
Second seed Carlos Alcaraz becomes the fifth youngest Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters champion this century, securing the title on his second tournamentappearance by defeating 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 after one hour and 46 minutes on Court Rainier III on Sunday.
“It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match,” stressed Alcaraz courtside. “Thinking about Lorenzo, he has been through a tough week, played long matches. I feel sorry for him. It is one of his best results; ending up like this is not easy. Hopefully, it is nothing serious, and he will be 100 percent soon.”
The Spanish player lifted his most significant trophy on a clay court since emerging victorious at the French Open and winning a silver medal in the Paris Olympics last year.
The 21-year-old joins Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime as the only player to earn multiple titles on tour thus far this season.
The Championship Match as It Happened
On Sunday, the Italian competed in his first career Masters 1000 final off the back of an uphill campaign in which he went from strength to strength, rallying from a set down four times in five matches.
Alcaraz broke serve, setting off final action on fire, painting the lines with a forehand winner.
However, Musetti, the third Italian Monte-Carlo finalist in the Open Era, broke straight back, hitting a sublime backhand skyhook, bringing a lively crowd to life early in the match, and held at love to extend his lead 2-1.
Excited to push forward, the 23-year-old born in Carrara converted a double break and never looked back.
He held onto his advantage for the remainder of the set, executing to perfection a drop shot winner to seal the opener 6-3 in 41 minutes, receiving an outstanding ovation from the stands.
The man who stunned defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals shut the door with superb court coverage and footwork; the Italian was simply everywhere, drawing a wall on the other side of the net.
Meanwhile, the 17-time ATP titlist’s early erratic showing featured 14 unforced errors to his opponent’s just 6, most committed with his forehand, a pattern this tournament on his racquet.
Nonetheless, the four-time Grand Slam champion pushed the reset button, shifting momentum, and as the second set wore on, he turned it into a one-way street.
Throughout a dominant performance, the Spaniard took a break in the second and fourth games to keep the spectators on the edge of their seats.
The world No. 16 return game was notably lacking against the former world number one, as he failed to convert a single break point.
Ultimately, Alcaraz closed out 6-1 in 37 minutes, a confidence-boosting result on his way to a decider.
The Murcia native outplayed his adversary, winning 71 percent of the first serve points and 100 percent of his net approaches.
When at 0-30 down in the final set, Musetti called the trainer, visibly impaired by a physical issue.
From there, the player mentored by Juan Carlos Ferrero consolidated his triumph, pocketing the third set 6-0 to earn his maiden crown in Monte-Carlo.
En route to the final, Alcaraz ousted countryman Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6, 6-4, delivering his best performance at the event on his way to a maiden Masters 1000 final in The Principality.
On Friday, he survived a stern test posed by 12th seed Arthur Fils, punching his ticket to the semifinals.
Previously, he moved past Argentine, Francisco Cerundolo and German qualifier Daniel Altmaier in his opening rounds.
For his part, Musetti qualified for his biggest career final by overpowering eighth seed Alex De Minaur 1-6, 6-4, 7-6, an enthralling, physical semifinal matchup.
In the quarterfinals, the young Italian halted three-time champion Tsitsipas, bidding to win his 4th crown at the venue.
He got the better of his compatriot, resurgent Matteo Berrettini in the round of 16, taking down the former world number six in straight sets.
Earlier, he kickstarted his run with a three-set victory over Yunchaokete Bu and Czech Jiri Lehecka, transitioning from the hard courts to the red clay successfully.
The first Masters 1000 of the season contested on clay became the first at this level to introduce electronic live calling and video review in 2025 on the surface.
Finishing as runner-up at the prestigious tournament, Musetti will debut a new career-high of world No. 11 on Monday.
Alcaraz will return to the world No. 2 in the build-up to his title defense campaign in Roland-Garros next month.
