Alcaraz Claims Monte-Carlo Title as Injured Musetti Fades
Carlos Alcaraz captured his first Monte-Carlo Masters title Sunday, though the victory came with mixed emotions after opponent Lorenzo Musetti struggled with injury in the final stages of their 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 match.
The Spanish star didn’t play his best tennis throughout the tournament but found ways to win when it mattered most.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| es Carlos Alcaraz | 21 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
“I am really happy to win Monte-Carlo for the first time,” Alcaraz said after the match. “It has been a really difficult week with a lot of difficult situations. I am proud with how I dealt with everything.”
The 21-year-old had to overcome an impressive start from Musetti, who controlled the opening set with confident play and clear tactics.
But everything changed midway through the match.
After dropping the first set, Alcaraz found his rhythm in the second, leveling the match with increasing dominance. By the third set, Musetti was clearly struggling physically, eventually requesting medical attention for an injury.
The Italian barely contested the final three games, essentially walking through points rather than retiring from the match completely.
“It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match,” Alcaraz admitted afterward. “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.”
For Alcaraz, the victory marks his first ATP Masters 1000 trophy since winning Indian Wells last year. The win also propels him to the world No. 2 ranking.
“It has been a difficult month for me, so coming here and seeing the hard work pay off makes me happy,” he added.
Musetti later explained his physical breakdown, which prevented him from competing at the level he wanted.
“I was feeling the ball really well today. I had a clear mind what I had to do. But physically I was struggling,” Musetti said. “From the beginning, I was trying to compensate a little bit with the freedom to play.”
The Italian, who had impressed throughout the tournament with wins over several top players, couldn’t maintain his level as fatigue caught up with him.
“At the end, the physical problems and the fatigue and stress accumulated in the past days and past matches was there,” he explained. “So unfortunately I couldn’t finish the match. I couldn’t fight until the end.”
Despite the disappointing conclusion, the tournament represents one of Musetti’s best career results at an ATP Masters 1000 event, while Alcaraz continues to build momentum heading into the heart of the clay court season.
