Monte-Carlo Masters: Berrettini Beats Top Seed Zverev

Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini (photo: ATP Tour video)

MONTE-CARLO/WASHINGTON, April 8, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

The ATP Tour has returned to the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France for its 56th edition in the Open Era. The week began with five former champions among the 56-player field of the first ATP Masters 1000 on clay this season. Among them, are two-time champion Novak Djokovic, 2023 champion Andrey Rublev, 2019 champion Fabio Fognini and 2014 titlist Stan Wawrinka.

Fognini and Wawrinka, who both entered with wild cards, were eliminated during Monday’s opening round to Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo and Alejandro Tabilo of Chile, respectively. Now, all eyes turned to the fifth former titlist, reigning champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, who won his third title in Monaco last year.

Tuesday evening on Court Rainier III, fans filled the seats of the Monte-Carlo Country Club’s biggest show court to see the World No. 8 and sixth-seeded Greek star take on No. 38 Jordan Thompson of Australia in a late-afternoon match that finished under the lights. In a two-hour and one-minute match that stretched to three sets, Tsitsipas survived a scare from the Aussie No. 3 and won 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Elsewhere, three other seeds were in action on Court Rainier III before Tsitsipas: No. 15 seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria defeated No. 58 Nicolas Jarry of Chile, 6-3, 6-4, needing seven match points and 13 and-a-half minutes in the final game to put away the victory. Also, No. 43 Nuno Borges of Portugal advanced by retirement after leading No. 10 seed Holger Rune of Denmark, 6-2, 3-0, in his Monte-Carlo main-draw debut.

After losing first set, Berrettini changes attitude against Zverev

However, World No. 2 top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany was upset by No. 34 Matteo Berrettini of Italy, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, a day after the Italian had eliminated 70th-ranked Argentine qualifier Mariano Navone in the opening round. As Zverev netted match point that ended the second-round skirmish, the facial expressions of each spoke volumes. There was a look of frustration for the German, while Berrettini’s face was filled with elation. It was a popular win for the 28-year-old Roman – in fact, it was the biggest win of his career by ranking, and he did it by relying upon aggression when it mattered most.

Although Zverev brought a 4-2 advantage in their head-to-head into their mid-afternoon tussle, Berrettini rose to the occasion by winning a 48-shot rally that gave him a break point at 5-all in the final set and he broke Zverev to go ahead 6-5 after winning a 16-shot cat-and-mouse exchange. Serving for the match, Berrettini remained poised under pressure and it proved the difference. He gained his second Top-10 win on clay, six years after defeating then-No. 5 Zverev in the second round at Rome.

Zverev, 27, came into this year’s Monte-Carlo tournament as a seven-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, including two titles each in Madrid and Rome. By all metrics, though, Zverev has struggled in his quest to unseat World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the ATP Rankings while the Italian has been serving his three-month suspension for failing a doping test last spring. It showed during his three-set loss to the Italian No. 3, in which his levels dipped during the second set and, after falling behind after being broken in the seventh game of the final set.

“I have not won many matches. So it’s been the worst period since my injury last few months,” said Zverev afterward during his post-match news conference. He’s just 6-5 since losing the title match at the Australian Open in January.

Berrettini struck 25 winners – 16 of them from his forehand side, including four aces – and overcame 39 unforced errors. He converted three of seven break points and outpointed Zverev 87-85. Zverev compiled 21 winners but also committed 35 unforced errors. He hit six aces but also compiled six double faults.

“I played a great first set, and once I got broken in the second set I played 10 levels down,” Zverev said. “My ball is much slower. I stop hitting the ball. The same story the last few months. Nothing changes. So it’s me who lost the match, once again. … I thought my level was terrible, but that’s just my opinion.”

Now, Berrettini is through to the third round of a Masters 1000 on clay for the first time since 2023 at Monte-Carlo. His win over Zverev improved his career win-loss record on clay to 64-21 and he’s won six titles on the red dirt surface.

“I think the game plan was the same,” Berrettini told ATP Media during his on-court interview when asked if there was any difference between his game plan going in and if it had changed after losing the first set. “I just changed my attitude and the way I was believing in my strokes. I wasn’t hitting the forehand and the serve like in the same way I was hitting them the previous day. I had to adjust a little bit to the conditions, and I have to say Sascha was playing unbelievable. So, it wasn’t easy.

“Then, I switched a little bit mentally. I told myself to be more aggressive. If I have to lose this match, I have to do the right things, being aggressive and doing the right things. That’s how it changed. Luckily it worked.”

Next, Berrettini will await Wednesday’s second-round outcome between fellow Italian and No. 13 seed Lorenzo Musetti, ranked 16th, and No. 28 Jiri Lehecka of Czechia, and be back on court Thursday going for his third-straight triumph of the week.

Tsitsipas begins title defense, survives a scare

Meanwhile, Tsitsipas, playing in his first clay event since reaching the quarterfinals at last summer’s Paris Olympic Games, entered his match against Thompson 18-1 in Monte-Carlo since 2021 with his lone loss coming against American Taylor Fritz two years ago in the quarterfinal round. Last year, he joined Rafael Nadal (11), Bjorn Borg (3), Thomas Muster (3) and Ilie Nastase (3) as the only men to win at least three titles at Monte-Carlo Country Club in the Open Era.

With his victory over Thompson, Tsitsipas is now 14-0 versus players ranked outside the Top 20 at Monte-Carlo. He did it by hitting 22 winners – including seven aces – and won 80 percent of his first-serve points. Tsitsipas converted four of nine break-point opportunities, took advantage of 33 unforced errors by his opponent and outpointed Thompson 86-74.

After losing the opening set, Tsitsipas said during his on-court interview with ATP Media that he “tried to work around my serve. I felt like these were the types of moments which were tricky at the beginning of the match. I tried to get a hold of my serve. Once I got it a little bit more stabilized and consistent, I tried to focus on my returns.

“I’ve been having good success standing far back on clay courts, but today didn’t seem like it was really doing any of the job, so I had to rely on closer returns. They seemed to be doing quite well.”

Next, Tsitsipas will face either Borges or Martinez, who play their second-round match on Wednesday.

Around the Monte-Carlo Country Club

Among the winners on Court Des Princes were: Bucharest champion Flavio Cobolli of Italy, ranked 36th; No. 51 Pedro Martinez of Spain, No. 12 seed Arthur Fils of France and No. 5 seed Jack Draper of Great Britain.

Advancing from Court EA de Massy were: No. 27 Alexei Popyrin of Australia, No. 46 Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina, and No. 14 Frances Tiafoe of the United States, less than 48 hours after losing the Houston final against fellow American Jenson Brooksby on Sunday, then flying through seven time zones to arrive in time in the Principality for his first-round match.

Also advancing on Court 9 were: No. 21 Tomas Machac of Czechia and No. 52 Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain.

Tuesday’s Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters results

Wednesday’s Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters order of play

By the numbers

• Novak Djokovic has the most wins of any active player at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters with 39. His career win-loss record in the tournament is 39-15. He’s won the Monte-Carlo title twice. He plays his opening match against No. 32 Alejandro Tabilo of Chile on Wednesday.

Second most among active players is Grigor Dimitrov with 24 wins and a 24-11 win-loss record. He’s still in search of his first Monte-Carlo title.

• Stefanos Tsitsipas owns the most wins (39) and titles (3) in clay ATP Masters 1000 events this decade.

“Quotable …”

“I’m very happy, very simply. You think maybe it’s the last time you’re going to play on the center court. … But I’m used to playing on this center court. This is the kind of court where I can play good matches, and it was the case today. I’m very happy that I won it and that I can stay in the tournament a bit more.”

– Wild card Richard Gasquet of France, ranked No. 164, who is playing in his last Rolex Monte-Carlos Masters before retiring from professional tennis later this year, as quoted during his post-match news conference after defeating Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in the first round on Sunday. Gasquet faces 84th-ranked qualifier Daniel Altmaier of Germany in the second round on Wednesday.

 

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