Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner both moved into the quarterfinals in Montecarlo after surviving three-set tests on a demanding day on clay. Each top player dropped a set before closing out a hard-fought win, reinforcing why both remain among the main contenders at the first major clay-court event of the season.
Alcaraz, the defending champion in the principality, beat Argentina’s Tomás Etcheverry 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in 2 hours and 23 minutes. Sinner, ranked No. 2 in the world, followed with a 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-3 victory over Czech player Tomás Macháč, also after losing a set in a match that tested his rhythm and patience.
Alcaraz’s fast start turned into a battle
Alcaraz opened with authority and broke Etcheverry early, racing through the first set in just 26 minutes. The Spaniard looked sharp from the baseline and controlled the pace with depth and variety, but the match changed quickly when Etcheverry raised his level in the second set.
The Argentine attacked more aggressively and broke Alcaraz twice to move ahead 4-1, forcing the Spaniard to respond under pressure. Alcaraz recovered one break, but Etcheverry held on long enough to level the match and push the defending champion into a deciding set.
In the third set, Alcaraz regained consistency and managed the key moments better, even after facing a break point while leading 4-2. He sealed the win on his third match point, showing the resilience that has defined much of his clay-court success.
After the match, Alcaraz said the opening set had felt almost perfect and admitted the second set changed because he did not take his chances. “I had played very well in the first set, I was feeling the ball 10/10,” he said, adding that missing opportunities at this level can quickly shift momentum.
Sinner survives a second-set surge
Sinner also looked in full control at the start, taking his first set in 26 minutes and making only eight unforced errors compared with Macháč’s 18. The Italian used early precision and clean shot-making to put immediate pressure on the Czech player.
Macháč found his range in the second set and responded with heavier, faster hitting that repeatedly disrupted Sinner’s rhythm. He broke the Italian to build a 5-2 lead, then even forced a tense finish before taking the set in the tiebreak and ending Sinner’s run of 12 straight two-set wins.
Sinner steadied himself in the decider and quickly reasserted control, using better court positioning and cleaner returning to avoid an upset. The win kept his strong Montecarlo run alive, even though the match demanded more from him than the scoreline of the first set suggested.
Quarterfinal matchups now take shape
The next round sets up a strong slate of quarterfinals, with Alcaraz facing Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik and Sinner meeting Canada’s Félix Auger-Aliassime. Both opponents arrive with confidence, which should make the pressure even higher for the two leading names in the draw.
- Carlos Alcaraz vs. Alexander Bublik
- Jannik Sinner vs. Félix Auger-Aliassime
- João Fonseca vs. Alexander Zverev
- Additional quarterfinal spots filled after a day of tight clay-court matches
Bublik advanced after defeating Czech player Jiří Lehečka, while Auger-Aliassime reached the last eight when Casper Ruud retired at 7-5, 2-2. The Canadian is through to the Montecarlo quarterfinals for the first time in his career, adding another in-form player to the latter stages of the tournament.
Fonseca adds another storyline in Montecarlo
Brazil’s João Fonseca also stood out with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Matteo Berrettini, reaching the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 event for the first time. The 19-year-old played with confidence in his Montecarlo debut and handled a player who had earlier stunned Daniil Medvedev 6-0, 6-0.
Fonseca said he wants more after the breakthrough and stressed his focus during the match. “I want more. I’m very confident and focused. I’m very happy with the way I fought today,” he said.
His reward is a quarterfinal against world No. 3 Alexander Zverev, who beat Zizou Bergs 6-2, 7-5. That matchup adds another high-level test to a draw that now features both established stars and rising names who have already delivered several of the tournament’s most important results.