Cerundolo ends Tsitsipas’s Monte-Carlo reign to move to 15th win of 2026
Francisco Cerundolo, the Argentine No. 16 seed, knocked out three-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-4 in the first round of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Monte-Carlo 2026 | © Chryslène Caillaud / PsNewe
Francisco Cerundolo, the Argentine No. 16 seed, knocked out three-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-4 in the first round of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on Monday, handing the Greek a defeat that will push his ranking to around world No. 65, his lowest since 2018.
The result was a significant upset on paper. Tsitsipas, a 22-4 record at the Monte-Carlo Country Club across seven appearances, had never previously lost before the third round in the principality. Cerundolo had not beaten him in two previous meetings, both of which went the distance on hard courts, at Basel and Paris in 2024.
On clay, the equation was different. Cerundolo broke to lead 4-0 in the second set, appeared to have the match in hand, before Tsitsipas clawed back to 4-4. The Argentine responded immediately, breaking again to close it out and record the 15th win of his 2026 season.
Tsitsipas’s sliding since 2024 title
It has been a difficult stretch for Cerundolo at Masters 1000 level on clay. He had not advanced past the second round in Monte-Carlo in any of his three previous appearances. A title in Buenos Aires and a quarterfinal run in Miami — where he fell to Alexander Zverev on both occasions this season — arrived on different surfaces and in different circumstances. This was the big clay stage, and he passed the test.
For Tsitsipas, the defeat closes a difficult chapter and opens a harder one. After winning the title here in 2024, he lost his defence in the quarterfinals to Lorenzo Musetti in 2025 and has been sliding ever since. He arrived in Monte-Carlo ranked No. 49, already his lowest position in years, and without a seed for the first time at this tournament since 2018.
There were signs of fight before Monte-Carlo. At the Bastide UTS Nîmes the days before, Tsitsipas was swept aside by Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals, 3-0, in just 36 minutes, without winning a single quarter point. He recovered the following day, defeating Ugo Humbert 3-1 in the classification match – a result that offered at least some momentum heading into the main season. It was not enough on Monday.
Cerundolo, ranked No. 19, will next face the winner of the match between German Daniel Altmaier and Czech Tomas Machac.
