At the end of a fascinating week on the fabled red clay in Monte Carlo, it all came down to a suspenseful battle for supremacy at the first Masters 1000 clay court tournament of the 2023 season between the ever professional Andrey Rublev and the contentious 19-year-old warrior Holger Rune. Both players deserved to be on that idyllic stage. They had to work hard, play well and fight persistently to earn the right to be around for the final, and that is exactly what they did.
In the end, Rublev came through handsomely to capture the first Masters 1000 title of his distinguished career. He had lost his two other finals at that elite level to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Monte Carlo two years ago, and later that summer against Sascha Zverev in Cincinnati.
In this hard-fought clash that went right down to the wire on the sunniest day of the week in Monte Carlo, Rublev was a worthy victor, coming mightily from behind to overcome a physically compromised and mentally vulnerable Rune 5-7, 6-2, 7-5, rescuing himself from 1-4 and break point down in the third set to secure six of the last seven games. To be sure, Rune was troubled down the stretch by apparent but not severe cramps, or perhaps some other ailment. Even with the 4-1 lead in the final set, he called for the trainer at the changeover.
And yet, it was surely at least partially mental. Rune had won his first Masters 1000 crown last November in Paris over Novak Djokovic in an exhilarating indoor encounter that also concluded with a 7-5 final set scoreline. He will turn 20 in less than two weeks, but his mentality in some ways is that of a wily veteran. He expects too much from himself and goes about his business with unmistakable fury and relentless intensity. He can be immature and inexplicably confrontational, but the fact remains that he has the mindset of a champion who simply despises the taste of defeat. In time, Rune will need to find a better balance between competitive ferocity and tranquility. But that won’t happen overnight.
The fact remains that, regardless of Rune’s shortcomings, Rublev is an exceedingly tough customer who has made a habit out of battling until the bitter end to win matches that seem to be slipping from his grasp. Consider the last time he collided with Rune at the Australian Open in the round of 16 back in January. Rune was ahead 5-2 in the fifth set before Rublev made it back to 5-5. Not long after, however, the Russian was down double match point at 15-40 when he served in the twelfth game. He escaped from that corner and then rallied magnificently from 0-5 in the final set tie-break, surviving a harrowing ordeal 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (11-9).
This time around, Rublev and Rune settled into the contest from the outset and pushed each other to the hilt from the baseline with big hitting, clever variations and first rate defense. Rune opened up a 4-2 lead with a scorching forehand down the line return winner. Rublev retaliated in the seventh game to get back on serve and held at love to make it 4-4. The Russian competitor even had a break point in the ninth game, but Rune erased it by eliciting a backhand return mistake with a well placed first serve. They went to 5-5 before Rune took two games in a row—and eight of eleven points— to close out the set.
Now Rublev’s mental toughness was strikingly evident. He seemed impenetrable in commencing the second set by building a 2-0 lead on the strength of immaculate ball striking and outstanding shot selection. Although an unwavering Rune saved two break points in the third game and soon stood on level ground at 2-2, Rublev was unswayed. Giving nothing away, swinging freely, getting great depth on his shots and largely setting the tempo, the 25-year-old not only took the next four games to seal the set, but he also won 16 of 20 points in that sparkling span. He was first rate and bearing down unswervingly, while Rune was rushing needlessly between points. Rune’s refusal to slow down and absorb what was happening to him was self defeating. His careless and anxious errors mounted.
Fittingly, the match moved on to a third set. Serving in the second game, Rublev was ahead 40-0. He had six game points altogether, but a more composed Rune was finding his range on the backhand return. He broke through to lead 2-0, held for 3-0, and soon found himself on the verge of victory. With that 4-1 lead, he put considerable effort and energy into gaining an insurance break in the sixth game. When he reached break point, Rune missed a forehand blocked return wide. Rublev got just enough mustard on his first serve down the T to provoke that mistake.
He held on gamely in this sixth game, and thereafter Rune, struggling inordinately with his physical and emotional instability, was his own worst enemy. In the seventh game, the Dane double faulted twice on his way to a 0-40 deficit, and was broken at 15. Rublev realized that Rune was now dispirited, and the Russian got back to 4-4. Nevertheless, Rune managed to hold one last time, and Rublev was serving to stay in the match at 4-5.
He met that moment commendably, holding at love. In the following game, Rune twice missed overheads to fall behind 0-30 and was given a ball abuse warning at that juncture. Making matters worse, he conceded that game with a double fault at 30-40. Rublev closed it out confidently from there, serving an ace out wide at 40-15 to secure the 13th career singles crown of his career. It was by far the most prestigious prize he has ever collected. Over the years, Rublev has now appeared in 40 Masters 1000 tournaments, but never before had he been the last man standing.
Let’s examine how the two finalists got to the title round. The sixth seeded Rune had a first round bye before ousting 2020 U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem 6-2, 6-4. He then advanced to the quarterfinals when an injured Matteo Berrettini defaulted. Rune proceeded to take apart No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev comprehensively 6-3, 6-4, losing his serve only once over the course of two sets, toppling a player who had been victorious in 26 of his last 27 matches.
In fact, Medvedev, despite a career long inefficiency on clay with a record which pales in comparison to his hard court prowess, had somehow overcome Zverev in a riveting, round of 16 evening skirmish. Zverev, of course, has been a stellar clay court player. Both Medvedev and Zverev have amassed 19 career singles titles, but while the Russian has never taken a title on clay, Zverev has won six tournaments and three Masters 1000 crowns on that surface.
Coming off an agonizing 67 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5 hard court defeat against Medvedev last month at Indian Wells, Zverev understandably wanted to exact some revenge in Monte Carlo. The German’s 2022 season ended abruptly and excruciatingly when he took a terrible fall during his semifinal loss to Rafael Nadal last June at Roland Garros, leaving the court in a wheelchair after tearing ligaments in his ankle. He missed the rest of 2022 and thus far this year has not been the same player.
Zverev came into Monte Carlo with a disappointing 8-9 match record for 2023, with a semifinal appearance in Dubai his best showing. A win over Medvedev would have taken him into the quarterfinals and, perhaps, restored his self conviction again. But this time he suffered an even more bruising setback. Zverev served for the match at 5-4 in both the second and third sets but won only one point in those two crucial game combined. Nonetheless, he made a gallant comeback in the final set tie-break, rallying from 2-5 down and winning four consecutive points to reach match point. But an errant second serve return cost him that chance. He later made it to match point for the second time, but was outmaneuvered by Medvedev from the backcourt and forced into a mistake off the forehand. Ultimately, Medvedev prevailed 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7).
An acrimonious Zverev later accused his opponent of being singularly unsporting, and Medvedev fired back by saying that Zverev needed to look at himself in the mirror. It was not a shining moment for either player as they engaged in this dark war of words, although the media found the tension between these two competitors highly entertaining.
Be that as it may, Medvedev may have exhausted himself physically, mentally and emotionally during that three hour and five minute clash. His movement and state of mind seemed considerably impaired when he was beaten by Rune. Yet Rune more than validated that remarkable victory by waging a stirring comeback of his own against another of this year’s standout performers. Jannik Sinner has been ascendant all year long. After an arduous five set loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the round of 16 at the Australian Open, the Italian had been riding high on the ATP Tour.
Sinner had won 21 of 26 matches across the season heading into Monte Carlo, taking one ATP 250 title, reaching the finals of Rotterdam and Miami, advancing to the semifinals at Indian Wells. He seemed primed to reach a second straight Masters 1000 final when he took the first set 6-1 with sweeping self assurance from Rune. But then Rune opened up a 3-0 second set lead before a rain delay. When they returned, Sinner exploited some bad patches from an overanxious and error prone Rune to stay in that second set. Down 2-5, 0-30, Sinner collected eight points in a row to get back on serve.
The drama was not over. Sinner tightened up and fell behind double set point at 15-40 in the tenth game, but drew an error from the Danish player and then prevailed in a scintillating 19 stroke exchange, sending a forehand inside out into the corner for an outright winner. He soon held on for 5-5, having swept three games in a row to move within two games of victory. But Rune held easily for 6-5 and then broke a surprisingly apprehensive Sinner in the twelfth game to seal the set. At 5-6, 30-40, Sinner tamely netted a backhand, thus wasting the concerted effort he made to get back into— and nearly salvage— the set.
The color of the contest had been distinctly altered. All through the third set, Sinner, serving from behind, was under siege. At 1-2, the determined Italian fended off three break points. With the crowd largely and vociferously behind him, Sinner at last responded animatedly to their vocal support. He held on gamely for 2-2. Once again at 3-4, Sinner drifted into danger before escaping with poise under pressure, saving two break points, fist pumping a few times as the crowd cheered him on unabashedly.
Rune, however, was undismayed. He swiftly held at love for 5-4 and twice was within two points of winning in the tenth game. Once more, Sinner was not found wanting in the clutch, holding on with temerity for 5-5. And yet, he could not get any traction on Rune’s serve. The 19-year-old held at 30 for 6-5 to keep the pressure on his highly regarded adversary.
Sinner was magnificent in the following game, pirouetting after digging out a backhand half volley before making an extraordinary backhand reflex volley for 15-0. When Sinner surged to 30-0, a final set tie-break seemed inevitable. But Rune clipped the edge of the sideline with a backhand crosscourt and then came forward for a spectacular sidespin backhand drop volley winner to make it 30-30. Sinner was shaken. He missed a routine backhand down the line and netted an easy forehand on the next two points. Rune deservedly made it across the finish line 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 in a stupendous contest.
The win was another reminder that Rune is now in the forefront of the game, but was also evidence that Sinner has not yet married his shotmaking excellence to his match playing propensity. He has made immense strides over the last year, but still loses too many matches of consequence that he could and should win.
In any event, while Rublev’s path to the final was not as eye- catching as Rune’s, it remained extraordinary. Following his first round bye, the No. 5 seed came from behind to beat the Spaniard Jaume Munar in three sets. In the round of 16, he accounted for No. 9 seed Karen Khachanov 7-6 (4), 6-2. Next on the agenda for Rublev was a revitalized Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany, who was ranked No. 100 in the world after once residing in the top 30. Rublev halted the 32-year-old 6-1, 7-6 (5).
Now in the semifinals, Rublev faced the American Taylor Fritz on a burdensomely windy and rainy day. The Russian served for the first set at 5-4 but dropped three games in a row to lose the set. Undismayed, he turned that match around tremendously, winning the second set with far superior play from the backcourt, moving out in front 3-2 in the third before a rain delay. He returned to finish off a fine victory 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 over a rival who had beaten him the last three times they had played.
Rublev broke the big serving American eight times. Fritz had enjoyed his first win in four career confrontations with Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals. The Greek stylist, seeded second, was seeking a third title in a row at the Monte-Carlo Masters. His ailing shoulder had healed. He seemed to be playing reasonably well. But Fritz was firing away freely from the outset of this duel, while Tsitsipas could not find his bearings.
Fritz won 16 of 22 points on his way to a 4-0 lead, and took that set easily 6-2. After an exchange of service breaks in the second set and the game score locked at 4-4, Fritz won eight of the last nine points to complete a command performance. The 6-2, 6-4 win lifted the American into the penultimate round.
In any case, one of the week’s largest surprises was the round of 16 departure of the world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. Unable to play at Indian Wells and Miami because he is unvaccinated, Djokovic had plenty of time to prepare on the red clay. He was eager to display his finest tennis and jumpstart his clay court campaign. But Djokovic never fully found his range against Lorenzo Musetti on another windy afternoon. Wearing a black sleeve on his right arm which extended above his elbow, he served poorly and his play from the baseline was not up to normal standards.
And yet, Djokovic put himself in a position to win on one of his worst days. He took the first set and led 4-2 in the second, but the match slipped away 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. The Serbian was broken eight times over the three sets; in the second set alone, Djokovic lost his serve five times. He was clearly not himself off the ground as well. It was not the way he wanted to launch his 2023 clay court season, but he is back this week playing an ATP 250 tournament in Banja Luka and eager to make amends. Rublev is seeded second at that tournament behind Djokovic, and it would be enjoyable if they meet in the final. But perhaps Rublev will not want to play that event after all the hard work he put in this past week at Monte Carlo.
The weeks ahead are going to be highly intriguing. Can Rublev turn this latest triumph into something of lasting value? Will Djokovic be ready to reassert himself immediately? Is Carlos Alcaraz fully healed physically and can he defend his Barcelona title? What are Rune’s chances of casting aside his loss to Rublev in Monte Carlo and prevailing as the top seed in Munich?
Those questions will soon be answered. In the meantime, we must savor what we saw in Monte Carlo.
