TIE-BREAKFAST - 04/06 Monte Carlo

Good morning and welcome back to TIE-Breakfast.

The morning briefing from Ace Cream that tells you everything you need to know before starting your day.

Today is Monday, April 6, in Monte Carlo it's 08:30 and it's 12 degrees. Alright, let's go.

Today at breakfast

• 🇫🇷 Monfils, 39 years old and a circle that closes: beats Griekspoor in a comeback in his last Monte Carlo
• 🇮🇹 Sinner starts with doubles alongside Bergs: Machac and Ruud beaten, first step on clay
• 🇬🇷 Tsitsipas, Rublev and Wawrinka: Monday's first round is full of stories
• 🇮🇹 Arnaldi and Cobolli, two Italians on court today in the main draw

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY:

🇫🇷 Monfils, The Last Dance In The Principality

Gaël Monfils beat Tallon Griekspoor 6-7(7) 6-1 6-4, becoming the oldest match winner at Monte Carlo since 1973, when Istvan Gulyas was 41 years old. Monfils is 39, in his final season on tour, and with this victory has surpassed Richard Gasquet as the Frenchman with the most Masters 1000 wins: 145.

The match tells a story beyond the score. Monfils lost the first set in a tie-break, and at that moment it felt like a farewell taking the wrong shape. Then something changed, as sometimes happens to someone who has known a court for twenty-one years. "I had to find the balance with, of course, a lot of emotions, knowing it's my last year here," he said after the match. Twenty-one years ago, on these very courts, a young Monfils faced Nadal. The circle, in some way, closes where it began.

🇮🇹 Sinner Starts With Doubles Alongside Bergs

Jannik Sinner and Zizou Bergs beat Tomas Machac and Casper Ruud 6-4 7-5 in 83 minutes, with eight aces and four breaks converted from nine opportunities. It's Sinner's first match on clay in 2026, after completing the Sunshine Double in Miami without dropping a set.

The choice of doubles as a tournament entry isn't random: Sinner was looking for rhythm and feel on the surface, and the win against a far-from-ordinary pairing suggests the transition from hard court to clay is going smoothly. Singles will begin in the second round, where Ugo Humbert awaits, having beaten young compatriot Kouamé 6-3 7-5 yesterday.

🎾 The First Day On Clay

Day 1 of the Monte Carlo Masters featured four first-round singles matches. Cameron Norrie beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-2 4-6 7-6(0), a perfect tie-break to close out a match that had threatened to get complicated. Alejandro Tabilo defeated Marton Fucsovics 6-4 6-3 in just over an hour, while Humbert dispatched seventeen-year-old Kouamé without any particular trouble.

The tournament arrives with significant absences: Djokovic, Fritz, Draper, Fils, Shelton and Korda among the withdrawals. But the presence of Sinner and Alcaraz, separated by 1,190 points in the rankings, keeps the spotlight bright. The number one ranking is at stake, and clay is where the race gets real.

WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY:

• Rublev vs Borges (Court Rainier III, from 11:00) - The 2023 champion opens the day. Rublev comes in with three consecutive losses and seeks answers on the clay where he has always found his best tennis.
• Baez vs Wawrinka (Court Rainier III, to follow) - Wawrinka's last time at Monte Carlo, where he won the title in 2014. At 41, he said he hopes for a clash with Alcaraz in the second round. First, though, there's Baez, who is a tough opponent on clay.
• Cerundolo vs Tsitsipas (Court Rainier III, to follow) - Perhaps the match of the day. Tsitsipas is a three-time champion here (2021, 2022, 2024), with a 22-4 record at Monte Carlo. Cerundolo brings a forehand that can hurt anyone on clay.
• Cobolli vs Comesana (Court des Princes) - Debut for Flavio, the number 10 seed. A first round not to be underestimated against a qualifier who has already shown he can compete on clay.
• Garin vs Arnaldi (Court EA de Massy) - Matteo Arnaldi, brought back as a lucky loser after his qualifying elimination, gets a second chance. The winner will face Zverev in the second round.
• Fonseca vs Diallo (Court des Princes) - The nineteen-year-old Brazilian continues to gather experience. Diallo is no easy opponent, but Fonseca has the kind of talent that can explode on clay.
• Berrettini/Vavassori vs De Minaur/Norrie (Court EA de Massy, doubles) - Matteo Berrettini on court in doubles with Vavassori, awaiting singles where he will face Bautista Agut.

Further reading

• ATP Monte Carlo: Humbert will be Sinner's first opponent
• Musetti, Monte Carlo and the homecoming
• Who are Berrettini and Cobolli facing at Monte Carlo? First-round opponents revealed
• '21 years later, I'm back': Monfils closes the circle at Monte Carlo in final season
• Monte Carlo Preview: Alcaraz, Sinner begin two-man race back to Roland Garros

Enjoy your breakfast and have a great day.

See you tomorrow at 08:30 with TIE-Breakfast