The first clay masters of the 2022 season, Monte Carlo, came to an end last Sunday, in which Tsitsipas defeated dark horse Davedovic in two straight sets to win his second Masters title. Tsitsipas last won the Masters was last year at Monte Carlo. This year Tsitsipas defended himself as a defending champion, lifting the trophy at Monte Carlo Country Club for the second consecutive year.
Tsitsipas, who defended his title at Monte Carlo, became the only player outside the active Big Four to be able to defend his title at the Masters. The last time a non-Big Four player defended his title at the Masters, it went back to Ferrero in 2003. Ferrero won the title in Monte Carlo for two consecutive years in 2002 and 2003.
Throughout the men's tennis open era, only five players before Tsitsipas had ever defended their title in Monte Carlo. The five men are Nastas in 1971-1973, Borg in 1979-80, Muster in 1996-97, Ferrero in 2002-03 and Nadal in 2005-12/2016-18, all of whom have one thing in common, becoming French Open champions and world number ones. Will Tsitsipas, who reached the final of the French Open last year, trace the footsteps of his five predecessors?
Tsitsipas is the most consistent of the post-95s clay record, and he has participated in a total of 86 clay games so far in his career, with a record of 65 wins and 21 losses. Tsitsipas has reached the final nine times in clay tournaments, winning 4 titles and 5 runners-up, including 2 Masters titles and 1 French Open runner-up.
Tsitsipas, who won the championship in Monte Carlo, broke the 11-month-long championship drought. The last time he won a tour was in Lyon last May. After winning the championship in Monte Carlo, Tsitsipas boasted that he would score more points in the clay season and strive to be in the top two of the year. Tsitsipas, who won the French Open vane, how will it perform next month? Let's wait and see.