Tennis-Alcaraz comes from behind to claim maiden Monte Carlo title

MONTE CARLOS, April 13 (Reuters) - Carlos Alcaraz recovered from a sluggish start to overpower Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 on Sunday and claim his first Monte Carlo Masters title, his biggest win since lifting the Wimbledon trophy in 2024.

After a disappointing North American swing in March, where he lost early in Miami and fell in the semi-finals at Indian Wells, the 21-year-old Spaniard roared back to form on clay, clinching his sixth Masters 1000 crown and 10th major title overall including four Grand Slams.

"I am really happy to win Monte Carlo for the first time. It has been a really difficult week with a lot of difficult situations,” Alcaraz said.

"I am proud with how I dealt with everything. It has been a difficult month for me, so coming here and seeing the hard work pay off makes me happy."

On a grey afternoon on Court Rainier III overlooking the Mediterranean sea, Alcaraz initially appeared out of sorts.

Musetti broke twice early and capitalised on 11 unforced errors from Alcaraz's forehand to take the opening set. The Italian’s variety and court craft gave him the edge against a hesitant opponent struggling to find his rhythm.

But momentum shifted in the second set.

Alcaraz began to strike with more authority and cleaned up his ground strokes, breaking twice to bag five consecutive games, completely flipping the script.

Musetti, who had played several long matches earlier in the week, began to fade physically under the Spaniard’s relentless pace, poise and power.

ONE-SIDED END

The final set was a one-sided affair.

Alcaraz broke in the opening game and raced to a 3-0 lead, at which point Musetti received a medical timeout for treatment on his right thigh.

From there, the Spaniard did not look back, closing out the match with clinical efficiency with Musetti managing just eight points in the final set.

"It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match," Alcaraz said. "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% soon."

Alcaraz’s victory in Monte Carlo allows him to surpass Alexander Zverev, reclaiming the world number two spot in the ATP rankings and moving to the top of the 2025 ATP Race, ahead of Jannik Sinner.

World number one Sinner, meanwhile, was granted permission to return to official training facilities on Sunday after a three-month doping suspension.

Alcaraz will next play in the Barcelona Open against a qualifier, boosted by his strong Monte Carlo performance and looking to defend his Roland Garros title when that tournament begins in late May.