The Monte Carlo Masters 1000 is the first huge tournament on red clay, and there is no doubt that Stefanos Tsitsipas has to handle significant pressure these days. The Greek ace won the title in the Principality last year and has always had an excellent feeling with this event, considering that all three Masters 1000 won by him so far have come right here.
This surface is probably the one that best suits Stefanos' game, because it allows him to make a difference with the forehand and to be more incisive with the backhand which has always been his main weak point.
Many still remember the way Tsitsipas won the semifinal against Jannik Sinner in Monte Carlo, benefiting from a serious mistake by the chair judge that prevented the Italian champion from having a double break advantage in the third set.
Tsitsipas loves Monte Carlo
The Greek star's 2025 season didn't start well with his untimely elimination at the Australian Open, before his decision to change rackets gave him a positive turn and allowed him to win the Dubai ATP 500 thanks to a brilliant run.
Everyone thought that the 2019 ATP Finals champion had returned to the level of a few years ago, but his results in Indian Wells and Miami the first two Masters 1000 of the year did not live up to expectations and generated new doubts.
'Tsitsi' will have to prove that he has definitively overcome the crisis and Monte Carlo seems the right place to shine.
"I'm happy to be back in Monte Carlo, it was the first tournament I saw live when I was a child," said Stefanos in the traditional pre-tournament press conference. "I arrived here as a defending champion and it's a fantastic feeling, which is why I want to play well again this year," he added.
The Greek is not afraid to reveal what his main goal is: "I would love to win a Grand Slam title, no matter what. I am working very hard to make this dream come true, which would also be a crowning achievement for the work of all the people around me."
