“Maybe third time’s the charm”: Francisco Cerundolo embraces Monte Carlo challenge against Carlos Alcaraz

Francisco Cerundolo will be Carlos Alcaraz’s first opponent in Monte-Carlo Masters, as the Spaniard begins his quest for a maiden win at the tournament. Alcaraz is looking to rediscover his clay-court form after a disappointing debut loss to David Goffin at the Miami Open.

It wasn’t the kindest of draws for Alcaraz, who will face a rival already seasoned on clay this season—and one who feels at home on the surface. Cerúndolo made a statement in his Monte Carlo debut, dismantling former champion Fabio Fognini 6-0, 6-3.

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The world No. 22 has had a strong 2025, with a 16-7 record and a final appearance at the Argentina Open two months ago, where he fell to Joao Fonseca in straight sets. That same week, Cerúndolo stunned world No. 2 Alexander Zverev at the start of the South American Golden Swing.

“It’s always nice to play on clay again, though I’m not sure it’s my favourite surface anymore because I’ve done well on hard courts,” Cerúndolo told ESPN Argentina. “But it’s the one I grew up on and played all my life. It’s really special to play here—my first time on Monte Carlo’s centre court, and against Fabio, a legend of our sport.”

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The South American holds a 14–14 (50%) record against top-10 players, including eight of those wins on clay. However, he’s lost both of his previous encounters with Alcaraz: first on grass at the 2024 Queen’s Club Championships (6-1, 7-5), and just three weeks ago in Indian Wells (6-3, 7-6).

“I’m not sure I have more chances to beat him now—he’s great on all surfaces. It’ll definitely be a tough match. In Indian Wells, we had a great battle in tricky conditions, with a lot of wind and cold,” he said. “Now I’ve got another shot at one of the best in the world. We’ve played on grass, hard, and now clay. Maybe third time’s the charm—I’ll need some luck,” the 26-year-old concluded.

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