Carlos Alcaraz is through to the final of Monte Carlo after ending the historic run of home favorite Valentin Vacherot in the semifinals of the Masters 1000 event, 6-4, 6-4.
Vacherot was the first Monegasque to reach the semifinals in Monte Carlo in the Open Era—in fact, he was the first home player to even reach the quarterfinals in the Open Era.
But Alcaraz grabbed two crucial breaks, one in the third game of the match en route to taking the first set and one in the second-to-last game of the match before serving it out.
The world No. 1 will now play world No. 2 Jannik Sinner on Sunday, in a match where the winner will be No. 1 on Monday.
“It’s the dream spot for everyone,” the Spaniard said. “I’m fighting for my second Monte Carlo title, I think he’s fighting for his first one, and it’s going to be a really special one with No. 1 on the line, so that makes tomorrow even more special.
“For me I’m just happy to win this really difficult match against Valentin. I think he’s playing really great tennis with a lot of confidence right now, playing in his home town.
“I’m really excited about my first meeting against Jannik in 2026. Let’s see how it’s going to be tomorrow.”