Stefanos Tsitsipas emerged victorious in a straight-sets victory over Casper Ruud, securing his third championship in Monte Carlo. Tsitsipas, who had previously triumphed in 2021, now boasts an impressive record of winning three out of the last four editions of the Masters-1000 event. The finals witnessed the presence of Formula 1 sensation Charles Leclerc, who is also a driver for Ferrari.
Leclerc, known for his fondness for tennis, made his way to the men’s singles Monte Carlo finals this year. Following the trophy presentation, Tsitsipas and Leclerc engaged in a conversation that ultimately resulted in an agreement to race together. During their discussion, Leclerc shared his upcoming schedule, which includes races in Shanghai, Miami, and Monaco. Tsitsipas expressed his interest in attending the Monaco Grand Prix, although he expressed some reservations due to its proximity to the tennis tournament.
The topic of go-karting arose during their conversation, with Leclerc inquiring about Tsitsipas’ interest in the activity. Tsitsipas mentioned his desire to give it a try and discovered that they have a mutual friend, Seb Delanney. This revelation excited Leclerc, who proposed organizing a joint go-karting session. In a lighthearted moment, Tsitsipas jokingly questioned whether he would be able to fit in a go-kart, to which Leclerc promptly responded.
In the final match, Tsitsipas defeated Ruud with a score of 6-1, 6-4, securing his first clay court Masters event victory of the season. Despite facing a tough challenge from an in-form opponent in the semi-finals, Tsitsipas only dropped one set throughout the week. However, his performance at the Happy Slam and subsequent defeats prevented him from re-entering the Top-10 rankings, despite his runner-up finish in 2023.
With his triumph in Monte Carlo, Tsitsipas experienced a significant leap in the rankings, climbing five places to secure the 7th position in the singles rankings. Ruud, on the other hand, earned 560 points and rose four places to become the World No. 6. The Top-5 rankings remained unchanged. Meanwhile, World No. 1 maintained his dominance, surpassing the 10,000 ranking point mark once again and leading World No. 2 Sinner by 1285 points.
Tsitsipas now faces a formidable challenge in Barcelona this week, where he has previously been a runner-up three times in five appearances during the 2023 edition.