"Fate favors the brave"
. That was the phrase that the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, number 12 in the world, chose to write on the glass of the television camera that was focused on him after having become
champion for the third time in his career at the Monte Carlo Masters 1000
, by defeating this Sunday in the final to the Norwegian
Casper Ruud
(N.10) by 6-1 and 6-4.
Do favors without fear✍️#ESPNenStarPlus ▶️https://t.co/LSsTHtB9aR pic.twitter.com/sWLlQXmW5i
— ESPN Tennis (@ESPNtenis) April 14, 2024
The 25-year-old Greek, who already won on Monegasque clay in 2021 and 2022, became the fifth player in the Open era (since 1968) to register his name in the tournament's record in triplicate after
Ilie Nastase
,
Björn Borg
and
Thomas Muster.
All equally, far behind the
Spanish Rafael Nadal
(11), with whom Tsitsipas could meet again this week at the Conde de Godó, where the Mallorcan will reappear on the professional circuit.
"It's incredible to taste victory again. There is a God up there!"
, exclaimed Tsitsipas, who has the Principality's Rainier III track as one of his favorite places.
It is the eleventh ATP title of his career and the first of the current season, since he had not celebrated for nine months, when he celebrated in Los Cabos (Mexico), in August 2023. He also achieved it after beating three players from the ' World top 10: Alexander Zverev (5th) in the round of 16, Jannik Sinner (2nd) in the semi-finals and now Ruud in the final.
The victory against Sinner had already been the best of omens. Against the trendy player on the circuit, who had only lost one match this season, he achieved convincing success. He had not beaten a player so highly ranked in the rankings since he beat the Russian Daniil Medvedev, then also number 2, at Roland Garros in 2021.
Before this event in Monte Carlo, he had not also played a final of a Masters 1000 on clay since Rome in 2022.
Thanks to this triumph, the Greek will return to the world 'Top 10' this Monday after eight weeks away: he will rise to seventh place in the rankings and officially present his candidacy for Roland Garros.
Winning a Grand Slam is precisely his unfinished business after having been runner-up at Roland Garros (2021) and the Australian Open (2023).
Ruud, former world number 2, will rise to 6th in the rankings, his best position since September 2023. For the second time he failed in a Masters 1000 final, after falling in Miami in 2022.
"You love this tournament and you have played very well all week. You deserve to be back in the Top 10
," Ruud told Tsitsipas during the trophy ceremony.