MONTE CARLO, Monaco – Carlos Alcaraz, Spain’s rising tennis star, staged a dramatic comeback on Wednesday to win his first match at the Monte Carlo Masters 1000, defeating Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1.
Initially struggling to find his rhythm, the world number three, who is also the 2022 French Open champion, began the match slowly, losing the first set. However, Alcaraz dominated the match’s latter stages, sealing the victory by winning 12 of the last 13 games.
After the match, Alcaraz reflected on his performance, saying, “I didn’t start well. I made a lot of mistakes. After the first set, I knew I had to do something else, play more aggressively, play my own tennis.” He acknowledged that a key to his victory was adjusting his return strategy. He managed to win two of his three break points during Cerundolo’s initial service games in the second set.
Cerundolo, who is tied for the most victories on the ATP Tour this season with 17 wins, started strong but couldn’t maintain his momentum as Alcaraz found his footing. The Spaniard, improving his record to 16-4 in 2025, showcased his skill, particularly in the second set, which he won in a shutout.
At just 21 years old, Alcaraz is now focusing on defending his French Open title and pursuing his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title in Monte Carlo. He will face German qualifier Daniel Altmaier in the third round.
“The most important change was the return; I tried to return closer to the line and push him,” Alcaraz explained, emphasizing his goal to control the match more effectively.
As Alcaraz looked ahead towards potentially facing Nova Djokovic later in the tournament, he expressed excitement about playing on clay, his current favorite surface. “I just knew that I had to play my own tennis: drop shots, going to the net and more aggression,” he added.
