Carlos Alcaraz continued his title defence at the Monte-Carlo Masters by coming through a tough assignment in the form of Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
The Spaniard, seeded first at the clay-court tournament, conceded the second set against Etcheverry, but sealed the win by triumphing in the decider, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
Alcaraz claimed his first Monte-Carlo title at last year’s edition of the event, beating Lorenzo Musetti in the final.
Will Carlos Alcaraz bounce back by winning the Monte Carlo Masters?
If not, who will win the title?
He needs to win again this year to hold onto the world number one ranking, which Jannik Sinner is closing in on.
Alcaraz’s next test in Monte-Carlo is Alexander Bublik, who made some comments about him prior to their matchup.
Carlos Alcaraz responds to Alexander Bublik’s comments about him
Bublik claimed Alcaraz and Sinner are simply untouchable at Grand Slams, suggesting they will continue their dominance at the four biggest tournaments in tennis.
Each of the last nine majors have been won by either Sinner or Alcaraz, with the two splitting all four titles between them in both 2024 and 2025.
Responding to Bublik’s statement, Alcaraz said: “Well, I mean, we’ve won the last nine, I don’t know, nine Grand Slams, but I still don’t believe that we are invincible in Grand Slams.
Will Jannik Sinner win the French Open?
“But a player like Bublik, he’s a top ten, or I think he’s still top ten, saying that, you know, helps a lot for the confidence.
“When someone who understands the game pretty well, like Bublik, says that we cannot lose in a Grand Slam, that helps a lot for us to play with a lot of confidence. But to be honest, I don’t really agree.”
The last time someone not named Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner won a major
Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominance at Grand Slams has been incredible, and does not look like ending anytime soon.
- 2024 Australian Open champion: Sinner
- 2024 Roland Garros champion: Alcaraz
- 2024 Wimbledon champion: Alcaraz
- 2024 US Open champion: Sinner
- 2025 Australian Open champion: Sinner
- 2025 Roland Garros champion: Alcaraz
- 2025 Wimbledon champion: Sinner
- 2025 US Open champion: Alcaraz
- 2026 Australian Open champion: Alcaraz
The last player not named Alcaraz or Sinner to win a Grand Slam was Novak Djokovic, who hoisted the title at the 2023 US Open.
Djokovic claimed a record-extending 24th major trophy at Flushing Meadows that year, beating Daniil Medvedev in the final.
Alcaraz bowed out in the semifinals of the US Open in 2023, losing to Medvedev, while Sinner fell in the fourth round to Alexander Zverev.
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