Not every player who has reached the final of the Monte Carlo Masters has gone on to be a top player on the ATP Tour.
Carlos Alcaraz won the Monte Carlo Masters last year, with the Spaniard joining the likes of Rafael Nadal, Mats Wilander and Bjorn Borg to have won this prestigious title.
Although he is not playing at the 2026 tournament, Novak Djokovic has also won the Monte Carlo Masters twice in his decorated career.
Djokovic is not the only Serbian to reach the final in Monte Carlo, with the 2019 final featuring two first-time Masters 1000 finalists including one of his compatriots.
Dusan Lajovic reached the final of the Monte Carlo Masters in 2019
The 2019 Monte Carlo Masters featured many top players including 11-time champion Nadal, Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem.
However, not one of these players reached the final, and instead it was Fabio Fognini and Dusan Lajovic.
Will Carlos Alcaraz bounce back by winning the Monte Carlo Masters?
If not, who will win the title?
Fognini was already a nine-time ATP finalist and the 13th seed at the tournament that year, but he was still not expected to beat the likes of Nadal and Zverev en route to the biggest final of his career.
That being said, Fognini being in the Monte Carlo Masters final was still less of a surprise than Lajovic, who was the world number 48 and had never won a match at the tournament before.
Lajovic went completely under the radar, beating both Thiem and Daniil Medvedev to reach the championship in Monte Carlo.
This was a first-time meeting between the two players, and it was Fognini who was able to get the better of Lajovic, beating him 6-3, 6-4 to win the Monte Carlo Masters.
Fognini never won another ATP singles title in his career before retiring at Wimbledon last year.
What has happened to Dusan Lajovic since the Monte Carlo Masters?
While Fognini has retired from tennis, 35-year-old Lajovic is still an active player on the ATP Tour.
Shortly after reaching the final of the Monte Carlo Masters, Lajovic reached his career-high ranking of world number 23.
Lajovic also won his first title later that year at the Croatia Open, adding to his trophy collection at the Banja Luka Open in 2023.
The Banja Luka Open saw Lajovic achieve one of his 10 career top 10 wins, as he beat his Serbian compatriot Djokovic.
Lajovic’s most recent top 10 victory came over Jannik Sinner at the Cincinnati Open in 2023.
| Dusan Lajovic’s career achievements | |
| Career-high ranking | No.23 (April 2019) |
| Titles Won | 2 (Croatia Open 2019 & Banja Luka Open 2023) |
| Best Grand Slam Result | Fourth Round (French Open 2014 & Australian Open 2021) |
| Wins over top 10 players | 10 |
While he has achieved success at other tournaments, Lajovic has been unable to get anywhere near recreating his success at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Since reaching the final in 2019, Lajovic has only won one of his five matches at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Lajovic will have to play qualifying at this year’s tournament, as he is currently the world number 132.
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