Andrey Rublev of Moscow, Russia won the 2023 Monte Carlo Masters on Sunday. In the final, Rublev defeated Holger Rune of Denmark, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5.
In what was a relatively tight match, the difference was Rublev returned Rune’s serve a little bit better than Rune returned Rublev’s. Rublev had an impressive 19 break point opportunities, of which he broke Rune eight times. Rune had eight break point opportunities himself, of which he broke Rublev on four occasions.
For Rublev, it was his first 1000 series Masters title of his career. It was also his 13th ATP title.
Rublev has twice before reached an ATP Masters 1000 series final. However, in 2021, he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in Monte Carlo, 6-3, 6-3, and then later during the same calendar year, lost to Alexander Zverev of Germany, 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the Cincinnati Masters.
The Monte Carlo Masters is the only Masters 1000 series event that is male only. Rublev became the second Russian to win the Monte Carlo Masters. The first was Andrei Chesnokov of Moscow, who defeated 1995 French Open champion Thomas Muster of Austria, 7-5, 6-3, 6-3. Like Muster, Chesnokov had his best grand slam result at the French Open. In 1989, Chesnokov reached the semifinals, before losing to eventual champion, Michael Chang of the United States, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6, 7-5.
Rune, who was seeded sixth, was one of three seeded players that Rublev, who was seeded fifth, had to face in Monte Carlo. The others were the ninth seed, Karen Khachanov of Russia, who Rublev beat in the third round, 7-6, 6-2, and the eighth seed, Taylor Fritz, of the United States, who Rublev beat in the semifinals, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3.
