Alexander Zverev could eventually slide down in the pecking order after another poor outing in the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters. The German international was backed by the Monte-Carlo Masters 2025 odds to make a deep run in the ATP 1000 event. However, his campaign in Monaco has come to a premature end after a first-round loss against Matteo Berrettini. Zverev is the second-seeded player in the ATP rankings, but Carlos Alcaraz can overtake him soon.
Zverev is not the only top-ranked player who exited early in Monaco. Holger Rune also lost to an opponent outside the Top 30 in the first round due to things beyond his control. Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas survived an early test in the opening round, boosting his confidence and chances of defending his title.
Learn more about the latest in The Principality, as SBOTOP brings you the latest Monte-Carlo Masters 2025 updates.
Zverev suffers stunning R32 loss
Alexander Zverev lost 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 against Matteo Berrettini last Tuesday in his opening match of the Monte-Carlo Masters. The defeat continues his subpar run of form since January, with the German international now losing six of his last 12 since the Australian Open. Zverev has failed to get beyond the quarter-finals in any event since Melbourne and was at a loss to explain his slump. The 27-year-old will aim to regain his form at the BMW Open (ATP 500 event) on home soil in Munich next week.
After taking the opening set and dropping the second, Zverev’s encounter with Berrettini grew tense. Berrettini failed to serve out the match at 5-4 but bounced back. At 5-5, 40/40, the Italian international won an absorbing 48-shot rally with a forehand winner and then earned the break when his German counterpart couldn’t get the ball in the backhand corner.
Berrettini went on to break serve and then served out to clinch a spot in the Round of 16. He couldn’t hide his emotions when he realised he beat the world No. 2. The victory shouldn’t surprise Berrettini since he had won 17 of his past 18 matches on clay.
He will play against the winner between Jiri Lehecka and compatriot Lorenzo Musetti in the Round of 16. Musetti was the last Italian to beat a Top 2 opponent on clay before Berrettini (against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters).
Rune forced to retire
Holger Rune’s Monte-Carlo Masters campaign was cut short, as he was forced to retire against Nuno Borges in the first round. The Danish international called for medical assistance after losing 2-6 in the first set. He ultimately called the match after falling to a 0-3 deficit in the second set. He only won 21-per cent of his second-serve points during the 42-minute contest.
Rune reportedly had been sick before the start of the ATP 1000 tournament and was fighting through his malaise. He wanted to avenge his Monte-Carlo Masters final defeat against Andrey Rublev in 2023, but he’ll have to wait.
Meanwhile, Borges, making his main-draw debut, will face Pedro Martinez in the second round. The Portuguese international is No. 43 in the ATP rankings and was one of the players who defeated Rafael Nadal on a clay court during the ATP 250 Bastad final last year.
“I clearly saw that he wasn’t feeling great,” Borges said about Rune. “I stayed really focused on my game and tried to not give him too much. I thought I did a good job with that.”
Tsitsipas overcomes tough first round battle
Stefanos Tsitsipas had to dig deep to beat Jordan Thompson 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to open his title defence last Tuesday. After dropping the first set where Thompson only dropped four points on serve, the Greek international had to hold his nerve when his Australian counterpart rallied from a break down to 4-5. Tsitsipas responded by winning seven of the final nine games of the match to seal his spot in the next round.
“I really didn’t know what to expect, you don’t know what your opponent is capable of,” Tsitsipas said. “He showed a good first set, he seemed to be playing quite reserved and wasn’t giving me much to work with. I was just trying to find something to reignite that consistency within my game.”
Tsitsipas will face the winner between Nuno Borges and Pedro Martinez. He now boasts a 21-3 record at the ATP 1000 event. As mentioned before, the 26-year-old is gunning for his fourth title, which would make him the second-most successful player at the event behind 11-time winner Rafael Nadal.
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