Match Report
Alcaraz delivers Monte-Carlo ‘Lightning Bolt’ in opener vs. Baez
Defending champion faces Etcheverry or Atmane next at ATP Masters 1000 event
April 07, 2026
Valery Hache/AFP via Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz in second-round action against Sebastian Baez on Tuesday afternoon in Monte-Carlo.
By Andy West
Carlos Alcaraz said he had ‘missed clay so much’ ahead of his title defence at this week’s Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, and the Spaniard certainly seemed to enjoy himself on returning to the surface for his first match at the ATP Masters 1000 event.
Defending champion Alcaraz barraged to a 6-1, 6-3 opening-round win against Sebastian Baez on Court Rainier III, where he barely put a foot wrong across his 70-minute triumph. The speed with which he dispatched a six-time ATP Tour champion on clay in Baez would likely have impressed Usain Bolt, the iconic sprint star who was watching on from the stands.
Competing on clay for the first time since his dramatic Roland Garros championship-match triumph against Jannik Sinner last July, the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings broke Baez’s serve five times and dropped his own serve just once.
Alcaraz is bidding to back up his standout season on clay in 2025, when he posted a 22-1 record on the surface. This week in Monte-Carlo, he is also competing with the knowledge that his great Lexus ATP Head2Head rival Sinner has the chance to replace him as World No. 1 next Monday.
Having lost two of his past three matches heading into Monte-Carlo, Alcaraz could hardly have done more against World No. 65 Baez to demonstrate he remains in some of the best form of his career. He used his heavy forehand to dictate rallies early against Baez and won 83 per cent (25/30) of points behind his first serve, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He is now 18-2 for the season, a tally which includes title runs at the Australian Open and in Doha.
The next challenge for the 26-time tour-level titlist Alcaraz at the Monte-Carlo Country Club is a third-round encounter against another Argentine, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, or Frenchman Terence Atmane. The Spaniard has not previously faced either of those potential opponents.
More to follow…
