Monte-Carlo Masters 2025 Day 4 Recap – Perfect Tennis

Day 4 at the Monte-Carlo Country Club brought another upset at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, as Alejandro Tabilo capitalised on Novak Djokovic’s ongoing struggles to secure a 6-3, 6-4 second-round win, while Carlos Alcaraz notched his first-ever victory at the event, storming back to defeat Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1.

The Round of 32 also saw Lorenzo Musetti, Alex de Minaur, Grigor Dimitrov, and Daniil Medvedev grind through three-set battles, and Alexei Popyrin upset 14th seed Frances Tiafoe to keep the surprises coming on the red clay.

Full results from Wednesday’s matches below, plus select highlights as the Round of 16 takes shape in The Principality.

Day Four 2025 Monte Carlo Round of 32 Results

Winner
Loser
Scoreline

Lorenzo Musetti (13)
Jiri Lehecka
1-6 7-5 6-2

Nuno Borges
Pedro Martinez
7-5 6-7(4) 6-4

Alejandro Tabilo
Novak Djokovic (3)
6-3 6-4

Grigor Dimitrov (15)
Valentin Vacherot (WC)
4-6 6-3 6-1

Daniil Medvedev (9)
Alexandre Muller
7-6(6) 5-7 6-2

Alex de Minaur (8)
Tomas Machac
3-6 6-0 6-3

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Tomas Martin Etcheverry
7-6(2) 6-3

Alexei Popyrin
Frances Tiafoe (14)
3-6 6-3 6-3

Casper Ruud (4)
Roberto Bautista Agut
6-2 6-1

Andrey Rublev (7)
Gael Monfils
6-4 7-6(2)

Arthur Fils (12)
Flavio Cobolli
6-2 6-4

Daniel Altmaier (Q)
Richard Gasquet (WC)
7-5 5-7 6-2

Carlos Alcaraz (2)
Francisco Cerundolo
3-6 6-0 6-1

Tabilo Tops Djokovic

I had a feeling Djokovic wouldn’t be a factor in Monte Carlo as he looked drained in practice, and that proved correct, as Alejandro Tabilo upset him 6-3, 6-4 in the second round.

The Chilean, who also beat Djokovic in Rome last season, capitalised on the two-time Monte-Carlo champion’s subpar performance, coming through in one hour and 37 minutes.

Fresh off a runner-up finish in Miami, Djokovic made a flat start and looked far below his best as his shots lacked penetration. While he showed some flashes of resistance in the second set, he squandered his only break point chances in the eighth game, allowing Tabilo to serve out the match with a love hold.

There’s not much to read into, as I don’t see Djoker being a significant threat on clay anywhere other than the French Open. Maybe he can up his game in Rome to build momentum, but outside those events? I am not sure,

While I’m reluctant to say it’s a terrible loss given his eye issues and how he looked in practice, Tabilo has been in woeful form, so it’s certainly not a good one.

It was actually more like the worst day. Look… I was hoping it was not going to happen. But it was quite a high probability that I’m going to play this way.. Just horrible. Horrible feeling to play this way and I’m just sorry for all the people that have to witness this. Djokovic on his loss.

Alcaraz Comes Back to See Off Cerundolo

Carlos Alcaraz bagged his maiden Monte-Carlo victory on Wednesday, overcoming a shaky start to dismantle Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1.

The 21-year-old Spaniard, who’d lost his only previous match at The Principality, turned the tide with a tactical overhaul, boosting his return game and eventually dominating in a one-hour, 37-minute win.

Cerundolo had an excellent Sunshine Double, and he continued that form in the first set, taking advantage of Alcaraz spraying some balls, which has hindered him this season.

However, that streakiness can also work both ways. Alcaraz eventually found the right balance, saving two break points in the second set’s opening game and blasting a forehand winner on the run to break Cerundolo. This sparked a run of 12 of the next 13 games, which featured some of his best tennis in recent weeks.

He’ll face Daniel Altmaier in the third round, after the German ended Richard Gasquet’s 23-year Monte-Carlo journey with a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 victory.

Alcaraz will need to play better to win here, but if he can build some confidence, few are as adaptable as he is on clay.

I didn’t start well. I made a lot of mistakes and I let him play inside the court, dominating the points. I just knew that I had to do something else, play more aggressively, and play my own tennis: drop shots, going to the net and more aggression. The most important change was the return, I tried to return closer to the line and push him. Alcaraz on his win.

Other Matches of Note

Lorenzo Musetti battled back from a set down to defeat Jiri Lehecka 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 in a two-hour, 19-minute clash on Court des Princes.

The 13th-seeded Italian struggled early as Lehecka’s flat hitting dominated the opener, but Musetti turned the tide in the second set, saving break points at 4-3 to shift momentum. From there, he found his rhythm, using his one-handed backhand to dictate rallies and surge through the decider. Musetti now faces compatriot Matteo Berrettini in a blockbuster third-round showdown, a rematch of their 2024 Stuttgart clash where Berrettini prevailed.

Alexei Popyrin pulled off an upset against 14th seed Frances Tiafoe, rallying from a set down to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a match that showcased his clutch play on big points.

The Australian, who also beat Ugo Humbert in the first round, now meets fourth seed Casper Ruud, who cruised past Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-1 in a dominant display.

Ruud, a two-time French Open finalist, broke the Spaniard four times, never facing a break point himself, and looks poised for a deep run on his favoured surface.

Elsewhere, Grigor Dimitrov fought back to defeat local wildcard Valentin Vacherot 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, winning nine of the last 11 games to advance.

The 15th seed looked listless in the early stages, but Vacherot doesn’t have many wins at this level, which allowed Dimitrov back in and use his all-court versatility to overpower the Monegasque debutant.

Alex de Minaur mirrored the comeback theme, dropping the first set to Tomas Machac before storming back 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, while Alejandro Davidovich Fokina edged Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6(2), 6-3, showcasing his typical clay-court tenacity and recording another top 50 victory.

Andrey Rublev, in his first match with new coach Marat Safin in his corner, battled past Gael Monfils 6-4, 7-6(2), winning a tight second-set tiebreak to advance, while 12th seed Arthur Fils dispatched Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 6-4 in a confident performance.

Qualifier Daniel Altmaier ended Richard Gasquet’s Monte-Carlo farewell with a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 victory, setting up a third-round clash with second seed Carlos Alcaraz. 

Finally, Daniil Medvedev survived another grueling battle against Alexandre Muller, edging out the Frenchman 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-2 in a two-hour, 48-minute clash.

Medvedev started tamely, falling a break down twice in the first set as Muller’s solid clay-court game, fresh off a final in Rio earlier this year, looked to be the stronger of the two. But the Russian clawed back, forcing a tiebreak, which he claimed 7-6(6) after 65 minutes,

In the second set, Medvedev broke for a 5-4 lead and served for the match at 15-0, only to unravel, allowing Muller to break twice and steal the set 7-5.

Undeterred, Medvedev regrouped in the decider, breaking early and dominating with his baseline consistency to close out the set 6-2. Back-to-back lung busters, and he faces road runner Alex de Minaur tomorrow, not easy.

Highlights

Monte Carlo 2025 Day 5 Round of 16 Matches