In 2024 ATP1000 there were two upsets in the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters, with the world No. 1 and No. 2 both falling to the semi-finals and missing the final, which is also very rare in previous Masters.
First up was the Australian Open Grand Slam champion Sinner, who has been in strong form this season, winning three singles titles on tour. Coming to the Monte Carlo Masters, Sinner made it all the way to the semi-finals. With his previous record, Sinner is the favorite to win the tournament.
However, surprisingly, against the in-form Tsitsipas, Sinner was unable to hold on to the advantage. In the end, they lost in three sets 4-6 6-3 4-6 and missed the final. It is worth mentioning that although Tsitsipas's form has declined, he has to admit that he is still able to restrain Sinner, and the two have played each other a total of 8 times before, and Sinner is behind with 3 wins and 5 losses. Now that they face off again, Sinner is still defeated.
Also upset was top seed Novak Djokovic, who, like Sinner, was the favourite to win the tournament, but also played three sets in the semi-finals to defeat Ruud 4-6 6-1 4-6. It was the first defeat to Ruud in his career, and the two have met five times in the past, with the Serbian king winning all of them.
At this point, the world No. 1 and the world No. 2 are all out as if they have fallen under a "spell".
Speaking after the race, Deyo said: "I'm used to having high expectations and I've only raced three races...... So it's normal to have some seasons that don't start well, and this year is. Hopefully, from now on, I can start here and get good results. Because I played good tennis."
Final matchup: Tsitsipas vs Ruud
Tsitsipas is a two-time champion (2021, 2022), while Ruud's best result is the semi-finals in singles (2021). Currently, Ruud is ranked 8th and Tsitsipas is 12th, and the two will also compete in the final!