Carlos Alcaraz comes from behind to claim maiden title at Monte-Carlo

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain recovered from a sluggish start to overpower Lorenzo Musetti of Italy 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 on Sunday and claim a first Monte-Carlo Masters title, his biggest win since lifting the Wimbledon trophy in 2024.

After a disappointing North American swing in March, which saw him lose early in Miami and fall in the semifinals at Indian Wells, the 21-year-old Spaniard roared back into form on clay, clinching his sixth Masters 1000 crown, and 10th major or 1000-level 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 capitalized 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.

The momentum shifted in the second set, however, as 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.

The final set was a one-sided affair. Alcaraz broke in the opening game and raced out 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, wrapping up the match with clinical efficiency as Musetti managed just eight points in the final set.

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