Carlos Alcaraz heads to Paris for his French Open title defence having laid down a marker with his victory over world number one Jannik Sinner in Rome
The 31-year-old triumphed despite suffering from an apparent muscle problem to became the lowest seeded player, at 13, to claim the title since Gustavo Kuerten in 1999.
Djokovic, 38, is winless on clay this year after exiting the Monte Carlo Masters and Madrid Open with straight-sets losses last month, and his form is a concern heading into Roland Garros, which kicks off on Sunday.
World number one Rafael Nadal reached the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters, although his easy-looking 6-2, 6-3 win masked a rusty performance against Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela on Wednesday. Newly-wed Roger Federer, who could face Nadal for a fourth consecutive final at the Monte Carlo Country Club, eased past Italian Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-4.
Rafael Nadal won a fourth consecutive Monte Carlo Masters title with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over world number one Roger Federer on Sunday.
hampion Rafael Nadal and top-ranked Novak Djokovic turned in impressive displays to reach the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals on Thursday. Nadal, chasing a record-extending 12th Monte Carlo title, broke Grigor Dimitrov's serve on four occasions to defeat the Bulgarian 6-4 6-1.
Unseeded Alejandro Tabilo beat twice champion Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday to maintain a remarkable 100 percent record win record over the 24-times major winner.
The Argentine clay specialist thrashed Germany's Rainer Schuettler 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 in the Monte Carlo Masters final.
Former world number one Novak Djokovic showed signs of rediscovering his form with a dominant 6-0, 6-1 victory over Dusan Lajovic in the opening round of the Monte Carlo Masters.
The Spanish teenager swept aside defending champion Guillermo Coria 6-3, 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 to win the Monte Carlo Masters.
Seventh seed Wawrinka of Switzerland set up a third-round meeting with Bulgarian ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov after seeing off Argentine Juan Monaco 6-4, 6-1.
World number two Novak Djokovic, unbeaten this year, said on Friday he was pulling out of next week's Monte Carlo Masters due to a knee injury.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal thrashed Austrian fifth seed Dominic Thiem 6-0, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters for a record 14th time on Friday.
Former World No 1 Roger Federer returned from a 10-week layoff with a 6-3, 6-4 second-round victory against Spain's Guillermo Garcia Lopez at the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday.
There were glimpses of the formidable Rafa Nadal as the eight-times champions swept aside French Open champion Stan Wawrinka 6-1, 6-4 on Friday to reach the Monte Carlo Master semi-finals.
Fourth seeds Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles of Bahamas stormed into the semi-finals of the men's doubles in the Monte Carlo Masters Series, beating fifth seeds Simon Aspelin of Sweden and Julian Knowles of Austria 6-2, 6-3 in the quarter-finals.
Rafael Nadal left no doubt that he would be the overwhelming favourite at next month's French Open after crushing fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-2, 6-3 in the Monte Carlo Masters semi-finals on Saturday.
Carlos Alcaraz won the Cincinnati Open after top seed Jannik Sinner retired while trailing 5-0 in the first set of their final on Monday.
Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 in the Monte Carlo Masters final on Sunday to become the first man to win the claycourt tournament five times in succession.
World number one Rafael Nadal laboured into the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters while Roger Federer had a smooth start to his campaign on Wednesday.
The Indo-Australian pair beat Argentine duo David Nalbandian and Sebastian Prieto 6-4, 6-3 in the first round.
Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles entered the final of the Monte Carlo Masters with a 6-0, 7-5 win over Jeff Coetzee and Wesley Moodie.
World number one Roger Federer came from a set down to outclass Argentine sixth seed David Nalbandian 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 and book his place in the Monte Carlo Masters last four on Friday. The Swiss top seed, who hit a string of outstanding winners in a first-rate match, next meets either Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia or unheralded American Sam Querrey.
Novak Djokovic will be hoping his gamble to play in the Monte Carlo Masters does not leave his claycourt season going bust after he decided to test his injured ankle in the glamorous principality.
In the evening session, men's third seed Alexander Zverev and women's fourth seed Jessica Pegula were forced off the court mid-match due to rain and the threat of lightning.
Murray, who suffered an elbow injury in March and made his return from a five-week layoff on Wednesday after a first-round bye, won the opening set in 48 minutes before losing concentration.
Rafael Nadal calmly continued his bid for a ninth consecutive crown at the Monte Carlo Masters with a 6-2, 6-4 third-round victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany on Thursday.
Bhupathi pairing Fernando Gonzalez defeated Dominik Hrbaty and Marat Safin 6-3, 6-3 to enter the second round.
Indian tennis ace Rohan Bopanna and his Romanian partner Florin Mergea knocked out of the Monte Carlo Masters after suffering straight-sets defeat in the quarter-final clash of the men's doubles event on Friday.
Michael Schumacher's Ferrari Formula One car that won the 2001 Monaco and Hungarian Grand Prix races was sold for $18.17 million, according to RM Sotheby's.
Rafael Nadal claimed a record-extending 10th Monte Carlo Masters title as he geared up for his beloved French Open with a 6-1, 6-3 victory against fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos on Sunday.
Third seed and Australian Open champion Wawrinka recovered from the loss of the opening set to claim his maiden Masters title on the Monte Carlo clay just six weeks before the start of the May 25-June 8 grand slam tournament in Paris.
Roger Federer beat an injured Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-2 to set up an all-Swiss Monte Carlo Masters final with Stanislas Wawrinka after the Australian Open champion ousted David Ferrer.
The pair beat Michael Llodra and Fabrice Santoro in the final.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic raised his eyes and arms to the sky after beating Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov to reach the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals on Thursday just hours after learning of the death of his grandfather.
World No. 4 Andy Murray trashed Serbian Viktor Troicki 6-0, 6-3 to book his place in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer continued on a collision course towards the Monte Carlo Masters final after easily winning their third round matches in contrasting conditions on Thursday.
The pair beat the Czech Republic duo of Frantisek Cermak/Leos Friedl in the semi-finals.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal remains on course for an 11th Monte Carlo Masters title after beating Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-1 in the semi-finals on Saturday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances