Casper Ruud Stuns Novak Djokovic in Monte Carlo Semifinals
In a thrilling upset, Casper Ruud has defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. The victory marks the biggest win of Ruud’s career and ends Djokovic’s 11-match winning streak against Top 3 opponents.
Ruud, ranked No. 8 in the world, started the match strongly, breaking Djokovic’s serve in the opening game. He held his own serve throughout the first set, forcing Djokovic to play catch-up. The Norwegian eventually took the set 6-4.
Djokovic responded in the second set, breaking Ruud’s serve twice to level the match. However, Ruud regained his composure in the third set, breaking Djokovic’s serve in the seventh game and holding on to win 6-4.
The victory is a major breakthrough for Ruud, who had never beaten a Top 3 player before. It also marks the first time that Djokovic has lost to a player outside the Top 5 since 2018.
Ruud will now face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final on Sunday. Tsitsipas defeated Alexander Zverev in the other semifinal.
