Alcaraz Wins First Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Title

MONTE-CARLO, Monaco — Carlos Alcaraz claimed his first Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters title on Sunday, triumphing over Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in the final. The victory marks the sixth ATP Masters 1000 title for the young Spaniard.

Following the match, Alcaraz expressed both relief and excitement, stating, “A lot of people have really high expectations on me, on having a really good clay season. But one thing that I learned is I have to think about myself and my team.”

Entering the tournament, the 21-year-old faced a challenging start to the season, having lost two consecutive matches in previous tournaments. However, bolstered by a more positive mindset, he turned his performance around in Monaco, which he attributed to key advice from his coach, Samuel Lopez.

“Stay positive is the thing that he repeated most this week,” Alcaraz shared. “One thing that he told me and probably was the key of this great week was, ‘You have to face the difficulties you have. Face it, not avoid it.’”

Alcaraz’s journey to victory was not merely about the trophy; it was also a testament to his mental resilience. “Talking about things that I learned the last couple of months is not thinking about anything else but enjoying on court,” he said. “If I win, it is great. If I don’t win, I will learn and just keep going.”

In the final, Alcaraz dominated the match against Musetti, who was making his first appearance in an ATP Masters 1000 final. Alcaraz noted Musetti’s potential, stating, “I’m not surprised that Lorenzo is pretty close to being Top 10. He has the weapons and the level.”

Alcaraz, now ranked No. 2 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, hopes to maintain this new perspective as he heads into the clay season. “I will try to approach the clay season like this,” he explained, emphasizing the importance of focusing on his own conditions rather than external expectations.

The journey of the Spaniard, who joins the ranks of Rafael Nadal and Juan Carlos Ferrero as winners of this prestigious event, is just beginning. “I just got my first one,” Alcaraz said. “If I just keep it with one, I will be more than happy.”