Berrettini stuns Medvedev 6-0, 6-0 at Monte Carlo Masters

Matteo Berrettini demolished Daniil Medvedev 6-0, 6-0 in the second round at Monte Carlo, with Medvedev committing 30 unforced errors.aljazeera
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and top seed Jannik Sinner ↗0.93% both advanced comfortably, setting up a potential collision later in the draw.tennisuptodate
Taylor Fritz withdrew before the tournament due to injury, with Andy Roddick suggesting he consider skipping the entire clay season.sabcsport

Monte Carlo Masters Rolls On Without Taylor Fritz as Berrettini Stuns Medvedev

The 2026 Monte Carlo Masters is delivering early drama on the clay courts of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, but American Taylor Fritz is not part of it. Fritz withdrew from the tournament before it began due to injury, dashing any hopes of a clay court breakthrough this spring and raising questions about his availability for the rest of the European swing.

Fritz’s Absence Opens the Door

Fritz, seeded seventh, pulled out of the draw in late March, with tournament organizers confirming the withdrawal in a statement citing injury. The 28-year-old had already struggled at the first two Masters 1000 events of the year, and his absence from Monte Carlo leaves a gap in the American contingent at the sport’s premier clay court events. Former U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick went so far as to suggest Fritz consider skipping the entire clay season, depending on his condition.sabcsport

With Fritz out, Ben Shelton was poised to reclaim the American No. 1 ranking with even a single match win at a clay court event, according to the ATP.atptour

Berrettini Delivers Headline Performance

The tournament’s defining moment through five days came Wednesday when wildcard Matteo Berrettini demolished seventh seed Daniil Medvedev 6-0, 6-0 in just 49 minutes. Medvedev accumulated 30 unforced errors and committed five double faults in a match Al Jazeera described as “humiliating”. According to Tennis.com, Berrettini became just the third man this century to inflict a double bagel on a top-10 player.aljazeera

Elsewhere, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz cruised past Sebastian Baez 6-1, 6-3, while top seed Jannik Sinner dispatched Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-0 as both contenders advanced to the third round. Alexander Zverev survived a tough three-set battle against Cristian Garin to stay in the draw.tennisuptodate

Road to the Final

The tournament, running April 5-12, still has days of action ahead before the semifinals on Saturday and the final on Sunday. With Fritz sidelined, the path appears clear for a European showdown. Alcaraz and Sinner are on a collision course that could settle their rivalry on clay once more — the pair contested finals in Rome and at Roland Garros last year but have yet to meet in 2026.montecarlotennismasters