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Carlos Alcaraz secured his spot in the Monte Carlo Masters final for the first time with a commanding victory of 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 over fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Saturday. He will face Italian Lorenzo Musetti on the red clay in Sunday’s final, after the 13th seed rallied to defeat Australian eighth seed Alex de Minaur 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in the other semi-final.
Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion, is aiming for his first Masters title since his triumph at Indian Wells last year and his first clay title since the 2024 French Open. His sole title this season remains the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam in February, but he seems to be relishing his return to clay.
Following the early departures of top seed Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz quickly emerged as the tournament favorite, especially with world number one Jannik Sinner still serving a doping ban.
The 21-year-old acknowledged feeling some increased pressure due to Sinner’s absence. This victory also marks a positive turn for him at an event where he had previously lost his only match in 2022.
Alcaraz had won his only prior meeting with Davidovich Fokina, who is ranked 42nd in the world, on the clay courts of Barcelona two years ago, and he began this match swiftly with an early break.
Davidovich Fokina, who reached the last 16 of the Australian Open in January, managed to break back to even the score at 5-5 and subsequently extended the first set to a tie-break, which he lost 7/2.
Alcaraz once again broke early in the second set, and this time, 2022 runner-up Davidovich Fokina could not recover, though he fought hard, saving 13 break points and four match points.
Musetti, appearing in his first Masters semi-final, seemed to struggle with nerves initially as De Minaur broke him in all four of his service games during the first set. However, he regained his composure in the second set, securing a vital break in the ninth game and successfully serving to force a decider. The 23-year-old took advantage of three consecutive breaks during the middle of the third set.
Although Musetti, a Wimbledon semi-finalist last year, was unable to serve out the match as De Minaur leveled the score at 5-5, he maintained his composure in the tie-break, clinching a spot in the most significant final of his career thus far on his first match point when De Minaur hit a forehand into the net.
