ALEXANDER ZVEREV MATCHES HIS DEEPEST MONTE CARLO RUN BY SECURING SEMI-FINAL SPOT
Alexander Zverev reaches the Monte Carlo semi-finals but admits his win over Joao Fonseca "wasn't a great match."
Alexander Zverev didn’t sound thrilled about his game today, even though he fought through to beat Joao Fonseca in three sets.
Fonseca, just 19, delivered a standout performance. This was his first time making it to the quarter-finals of a Masters 1000 event. Zverev actually matched his career-best run in Monte Carlo by reaching the semis, but after the match, he didn’t seem all that upbeat.
Talking live on Sky Sports, Zverev explained his feelings. Even though the scoreline suggested a tight, dramatic battle, he made it clear the reality was different.
When asked to weigh in on the quality of play between him and Fonseca, Zverev hesitated. “I’m not sure,” he said, honest and a little uncertain. He went on, “To be honest, it wasn’t a great match from either of us. This is the first week on clay for everyone, so it’s not going to be easy or pretty. Still, I won, I’m in the semi-finals, and that’s what matters most. I think my best tennis came in the third set, which means I’m improving. That’s really what counts this week, showing improvement and trying to find my aggressive game again. Clay is trickier for me than hard courts, but I’m in the semis and happy about it.”
Zverev was also asked about the tough switch from hard courts to clay. He put it simply: “It’s about rhythm. I’m still mistiming quite a few balls, but again, I’d rather make some mistakes and be in the semis than play perfectly and lose in the first round. It’s all about getting better.”
He knows this clay season still needs work, but he sounded hopeful that things would click soon.
People have been raving about Fonseca’s forehand; some are even putting it alongside Alcaraz’s or Sinner’s. That alone says a lot about the young Brazilian’s run in Monte Carlo.
Fonseca didn’t have enough experience or stamina to get past Zverev today, but just reaching the quarters in his first tournament on clay is a big deal, especially after a bumpy start to the year. You could see he was missing some of the know-how needed to close out a tough match against someone as experienced as Zverev. Plus, the sheer effort of fighting through a long, demanding match and the tournament took its toll. At 19, these big stages are new territory, and that showed.
In the end, it’s a tough loss for Fonseca, but it’s also a huge learning experience. Days like this are tough, but they push you forward.
JANNIK SINNER DEFIES ALCARAZ'S EXPECTATIONS BY MOVING FROM MIAMI HARD TO MONTE CARLO CLAY
The Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry heats up! Read about the Miami to clay transition and the fight for the Monte Carlo title.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have both kicked off their Monte Carlo Masters runs with solid wins, and fans are already hoping they’ll clash in the final, eager for their first big showdown of the 2026 season.
Last year, these two met pretty often, and honestly, it still feels like Sinner has some unfinished business on clay. In 2025, Sinner had to miss most of the clay-court swing because of his three-month ban, so he’s not really defending many points this year. That’s one reason why Alcaraz was pretty surprised to see his rival show up in Monte Carlo. He actually thought Sinner would give this one a miss, and he even admitted he was caught off guard when that didn’t happen.
At his latest press conference, someone asked Alcaraz to explain why he figured Sinner would skip Monte Carlo, especially after winning in Miami and jumping right into a new tournament so fast. Alcaraz didn’t sound too shocked at his own reaction, but he gave an honest answer: “We’re always guessing where guys will play. Sinner had a really long run in Indian Wells and Miami, a lot of matches, a big swing. There’s only about a week between Miami and Monte Carlo. The time zone, the surface, the balls, it’s all different. Switching from hard to clay that quickly, without much prep, is tough. But at the end of the day, if he’s here, it means he feels good physically and mentally, and he’s obviously excited to compete.”
He went on: “I was definitely surprised. He’s played so many matches on hard courts lately, barely had a break, and had to switch to clay with hardly any prep time. But then you see him playing doubles and looking sharp right away. That just shows the kind of player he is; he can adapt to anything, and fast.”
Alcaraz, for his part, knows he’s likely to lose the number one ranking to Sinner soon. The gap in their points for the next few months is just too big. Still, he figures it depends on how things go here in Monte Carlo, so at least it isn’t a done deal yet.
Here’s where the rankings race stands: there are a few scenarios in play for Sinner to overtake Alcaraz and become number one again. Honestly, it all comes down to how Alcaraz performs. If Sinner wins the title in Monte Carlo, he’ll jump back to number one, no questions asked. If Sinner doesn’t make at least the semifinals, Alcaraz keeps his spot. If Sinner reaches the semis and Alcaraz loses before the quarters, or if Sinner makes the final and Alcaraz doesn’t, Sinner takes the top spot.
Either way, this rivalry’s heating up again, and tennis fans are in for a treat.
DANIIL MEDVEDEV SUFFERS THE FIRST SCORELESS LOSS OF HIS CAREER IN MONTE CARLO
Daniil Medvedev suffers a 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Matteo Berrettini. Discover the stats behind his Monte Carlo meltdown now.
Daniil Medvedev’s meltdown at the Monte Carlo Masters was wild. He smashed his racket and lost 6-0, 6-0 to Matteo Berrettini, just a brutal defeat for someone who’s usually in the top 10.
Medvedev didn’t win a single game in his first clay match this season. Berrettini, who was once the Wimbledon runner-up, cruised right into the third round.
After Medvedev dropped the first set 6-0, things got even uglier. He lost his serve for the fourth straight time, and suddenly he was down 2-0 in the second set. That’s when he snapped. He whipped his racket into the back fence, then slammed it into the clay four times. The crowd ate it up, getting louder with each hit. Medvedev tossed what was left of his shattered racket into the bin. Berrettini rattled off four more games to finish Medvedev in under 50 minutes, the worst defeat Medvedev’s ever had.
Clay isn’t Medvedev’s thing, honestly. He’s crashed out in the first round at the French Open twice in the last four years. But this year, he’s looked better, making the Indian Wells final last month and grabbing hard-court titles in Brisbane and Dubai.
Medvedev’s stats from this match are ugly. He made 27 unforced errors and hit only three winners. Out of 33 service points, he won just nine. He picked up only 17 points across the whole match. He did put Berrettini under a tiny bit of pressure in the opening game, getting two break points, but that was about it.
Berrettini barely broke a sweat. He hasn’t dropped a game in Monte Carlo yet; his first-round opponent, Roberto Bautista Agut, retired while trailing 4-0.
The Italian’s reaction said it all. He got into Monte Carlo with a wildcard, and he’s been dealing with injuries all season, but he looked amazed at how solid his game was here. “Definitely one of the best performances of my life,” he said.
He added, “I think I missed three shots in the whole match, and that’s not easy against a tricky player like Daniil. My game plan was spot-on, and all my shots worked. I had two break points in the first game, so I had to push. You never expect to win so easily. One break, two breaks, usually it’s not enough, so I just kept going.”
