Thiago Monteiro, the 29-year-old Brazilian qualifier, has made history by reaching the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time in his career. Inspired by the recent successes of Adrian Mannarino and Jan-Lennard Struff, Monteiro has adopted the mantra “it’s never too late” and has unlocked a new milestone in his tennis journey.
In a stunning display of serving prowess, Monteiro ousted No. 6 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. The 118th-ranked qualifier did not face a break point until he served for the match, showcasing his impeccable control and precision. Despite missing a pair of match points against Tsitsipas’ serve in the previous game, Monteiro remained composed and erased the deficit with an inside-out forehand winner.
“Here in the conditions, the serve, especially the left serve, works really well. The ball was bouncing high,” Monteiro explained to the press. “I knew I had a big challenge ahead against a top player, but I was feeling good.”
Monteiro’s victory marks his first completed Top 10 victory since defeating Holger Rune in a Davis Cup rubber in September 2023. The former world No. 61 can now break back into the Top 100 if he advances past No. 30 seed Jiri Lehecka in the third round.
“Never too late indeed. I see guys like Struff that is (34), won his first ATP (title) last week. Mannarino, 35, he had his best season of his tennis career last year,” Monteiro said. “Tennis is like this. One week can change the whole year, the whole plans that you have. You just need to keep working hard and to keep trying to enjoy it, take this opportunity when it appears.”
Tsitsipas, on the other hand, has now dropped consecutive matches after opening his European clay-court swing with 10 successive victories. The former Roland Garros runner-up captured his third Monte Carlo crown before Casper Ruud avenged that final-round defeat by turning the tables in last Sunday’s Barcelona title match.
“I had a very good opponent on the other side of the net. He was coming up with great shots and punishing me every single time I played short. Didn’t manage to get the depth of the court,” Tsitsipas assessed.
