Carlos Alcaraz starts in style on clay with Monte Carlo title - ESPN

Carlos Alcaraz defeated an injury-stricken Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 to win the Monte Carlo final Sunday and secure his sixth Masters 1000 career title.

Alcaraz cruised to his first Monte Carlo trophy and 18th tour-level victory. The 21-year-old Spaniard will reach No. 2 in the world rankings following the triumph in Monaco, passing Alexander Zverev, who lost in the second round.

Musetti started showing signs of a right leg injury in the third set and received treatment while down 3-0. Playing in his first Masters 1000 final, the 23-year-old Italian had trouble moving and keeping up with Alcaraz toward the end of the match.

«This is not the way I want to win a match. I really feel sorry for him,» Alcaraz said. «Just really happy to have won the Monte Carlo for the first time. It's been a really difficult week, with a lot of difficult situations. I'm really proud of myself how I dealt with everything.»

Alcaraz has struggled at times this year and was coming off an opening-round loss to David Goffin in Miami.

It was Alcaraz's third consecutive clay-court final after winning the French Open and finishing with a silver medal at the Paris Olympics last year.

Alcaraz was playing in his 23rd tour-level final. He had needed six match points to put away Spanish compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6 (2), 6-4 in the semifinals Saturday.

Musetti, whose only two tour-level titles came in 2022, broke Alcaraz's serve twice to win the first set, but Alcaraz came back strong with two breaks of his own in the second to even the match. Musetti was never much in contention in the decider.

Musetti, ranked 13th and a bronze medalist in Paris last year, defeated Alex de Minaur 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in their semifinal. He had ousted