Photo Credit: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters
Back on his beloved clay, Carlos Alcaraz looked right at home. In a dominant display, the Spaniard battled past Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 to record his first-ever win at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
Following a disappointing Sunshine Double—losing to Jack Draper at Indian Wells and facing an early exit to David Goffin in Miami—Alcaraz found new energy on the red clay, his most natural surface.
The reigning Roland Garros champion has now won 13 of his last 14 matches on clay. His only loss in that stretch came at the hands of Novak Djokovic in the 2024 Olympic gold medal match, also held in Paris.
For Alcaraz, clay means long rallies and physical endurance—elements of tennis that he thrives on. “What I miss most is the grind of long points and the fact that the serve isn’t as dominant as on hard courts,” Alcaraz shared after the match. “It allows the rally to develop more, which suits my game style.”
Widely regarded as one of the sport’s fastest movers, Alcaraz’s ability to glide on clay gives him a tactical edge. While his first serve can hit 130 mph and feature heavy spin, his 2024 stats placed him only 30th on the ATP Tour in first-serve points won (73%) and 12th in service games won (85.4%).
In contrast, current world No. 1 Jannik Sinner led the Tour in service games won (91.4%) and ranked second in first-serve points won (79.3%).
Alcaraz made up for his service struggles today with a stellar return game. He broke Cerundolo six times from eight chances, including a 12-of-14 point win ratio on return in the second set alone.
For Alcaraz, clay isn’t just a surface—it’s a form of pure tennis. “This is where you see the real game,” he said. “It’s not just big serves and quick points. It’s the long rallies, the dirty socks, and the endurance battles. That’s what I love about playing on clay.”
With his Monte-Carlo debut win under his belt, Alcaraz looks ready to make another deep clay-season run.