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The boosted prize money at this year’s Monte Carlo Masters has been revealed, with the winner on Sunday set to pick up a bumper cash windfall.

With prize money rising at a rapid rate on the ATP Tour, the billionaire’s playground that is Monte Carlo was always certain to boost their cash prizes and it won’t be long before the champion at the first Masters 1000 clay court season will break through the €1m barrier for the winner.

Andrey Rublev was handed prize money of €892,590 when he won the Monte Carlo Masters in 2023 and Stefanos Tsitsipas claimed €919,075 when he picked up the big prize last year.

This year’s Monte Carlo will get a bumper €946,610, with the runner-up on Sunday handed €516,925 to compensate for the disappointment of defeat.

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The lavish sums available to the sport’s biggest names put some perspective on the challenges players lower down the ranks experience as they desperately try to fund their tennis careers.

Novak Djokovic has led the calls for players to collect more prize money, with the 24-time Grand Slam champion a vocal presence in that ongoing debate.

The top 20 players from the men’s and women’s tour sent a letter to the organisers of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in a bid to be given a bigger slice of the financial pie in tennis last week.

Last year’s singles champions at Wimbledon took home £2.7m each while the overall pot was £50million, double the amount the All England Club awarded in 2014.

Yet overall revenues have also increased and players frequently cite comparisons to other sports, particularly basketball’s NBA, to show they are missing out.

“I think generally the sentiment is that the players feel that we should get it, when it comes to prize money at the Grand Slams, as close to the percentage of the prize money that we are getting on the [ATP] Tour on average,” said Djokovic.

“That’s something that I think would be fair because logically and rationally thinking about it, that’s probably the best case scenario. But that’s not going to happen overnight, if it happens, so it’s a long term play.

“Hopefully the Grand Slams will respond positively and want to have the players in the room and sit down and talk about the revenue shares, about not just that, but also I think players feel that they need to have counsel with Grand Slam committees and management when they are making some big changes or decisions.

“It’s important because it affects us. [On] rule changes or whatever it is, I think we need to be advised. We need to be part of the conversation.”

The prize money on offer in Monte Carlo confirms the cash at the top of the men’s game is lavish, but that does not disguise a less glamorous reality players at the lower end of the game.

The prize money debate will continue to rumble on, with the drive for players to take more from the sport now gathering real momentum.

Prize money for 2025 Monte Carlo Masters

Champion: €946,610
Finalist: €516,925
Semi-finalist: €282,650
Quarter-finalist: €154,170
Round of 16: €82,465
Round of 32: €44,220
Round of 64: €24,500

READ NEXT: Roger Federer’s ex-coach ‘not betting against’ Novak Djokovic after Monte Carlo exit

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Renowned coach Paul Annacone believes it is “a little crazy” to suggest Carlos Alcaraz should replace Juan Carlos Ferrero as he discussed the Spanish star’s “volatility.”

Alcaraz has worked with Ferrero since joining the former world No 1’s academy in Alicante as a 16-year-old in 2018.

The 21-year-old has won all 17 of his career titles to date, including four Grand Slams, with Ferrero in his team.

However, there have been calls this year for Alcaraz to end his partnership with his fellow Spaniard and bring in a new coaching voice.

Speaking on Tennis Channel, Annacone gave his verdict on the Alcaraz-Ferrero debate.

“Yeah, I think it’s a little crazy. But it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen crazy in the tennis world,” said the American.

“Look, we all like to jump to big conclusions when great players have stumbling blocks and we forget how young he (Alcaraz) is. And we also forget the full dynamic of the make-up of who he is as a person and as a player.

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“I think historically, he’s gonna have a little bit more volatility because he has so much variety and how he plays. Because of his personality, he’ll come forward, he’ll stay back, he’ll hit drop shots and bring people in, he’ll hit winners, he’ll play steady.”

The former world No 12, who won three singles titles, continued: “So, he’s gonna be up and down more than someone like [Jannik] Sinner, who’s in lockdown mode. His ceiling is a little bit higher, but I also think the basement’s a little bit lower.

“So, we might just see a few more losses from Alcaraz, but I don’t mind — it’s gonna be all electricity. And look, the guy won two majors last year, so all isn’t bad.”

Annacone has coached Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Tim Henman, Stan Wawrinka and Sloane Stephens. He is currently working with world No 4 Taylor Fritz.

Alcaraz is currently in action at the Monte Carlo Masters, where he defeated Arthur Fils in a pulsating quarter-final.

The world No 3 is seeking a maiden title in Monte Carlo in what is just his second appearance at the Masters 1000 event after 2022. The Spaniard will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the last four.

READ NEXT: ‘Anyone saying Carlos Alcaraz should fire Juan Carlos Ferrero doesn’t know anything about coaching’

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Alex de Minaur delivered a ruthless display to dispatch a badly out of sorts Grigor Dimitrov 6-0, 6-0 in a staggering Monte Carlo Masters quarter-final.

The 26-year-old Aussie needed only 44 minutes to book his spot in a maiden clay-court Masters 1000 semi-final.

In his on-court interview with Tennis TV, de Minaur was asked if he knew that this was his first-ever ‘double bagel’ win.

“I did know that, and in fact I know that the only time that I ever lost love and love (0-6, 0-6) myself was to Tommy Paul in the semi-finals of US Open Juniors. So yeah, it’s pretty crazy,” said the world No 10.

On being the first Australian man to reach the Monte Carlo semi-finals since John Alexander in 1979, de Minaur added: “It’s an amazing feeling. With the troubles I’ve had at the start of my career on this surface, I didn’t quite understand it, and how to play well on this surface.

“As the years have gone by I have grown to understand the things I can do well on this surface to be a tough opponent and I’m very happy that I’m playing better and better every year.”

As clinical and impressive as de Minaur was, it was a brutal outing for Dimitrov — with the world No 18 yet to reveal whether he was hampered by any physical ailments.

Here are the stats behind the incredibly lopsided contest — and they make for difficult reading from a Dimitrov perspective.

A piece of Masters 1000 history

The last eight clash marks the first time a Masters 1000 match at the quarter-final, semi-final or final stage has ended with a 6-0, 6-0 scoreline.

Dimitrov’s shocking winner to unforced error ratio

Dimitrov landed just one winner in the match, while a staggering 23 of the 63 points played ended with unforced errors from the 33-year-old Bulgarian’s racket.

De Minaur, meanwhile, made seven winners and eight unforced errors.

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No deuces

None of the 12 games went to deuce (40-40), with Dimitrov reaching 30 in just six games.

48 points to 15

De Minaur won an overwhelming 48 of the 63 points played (76%) as Dimitrov won 10 points in the first set and just five points in an astonishingly one-sided second set.

De Minaur’s dominant streak

The Australian’s quarter-final demolition came after he crushed Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 6-2 in the last 16 and won the second and third sets against Tomas Machac 6-0, 6-3 in the second round.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz edges closer to Alexander Zverev in rankings with Monte Carlo feat

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Novak Djokovic cut a disconsolate figure as he admitted he produced a ‘horrible’ performance in his defeat against Alejandro Tabilo at the Monte Carlo Masters, but he may reflect that he made a mistake by playing in the opening ATP 1000 Masters tournament of the clay court season.

After an impressive run to the Miami Open final that saw Djokovic play his best tennis since his memorable win at last year’s Olympic Games in Paris, it would have been understandable for the 24-time Grand Slam king to delay his return to European clay courts.

An appearance at the Madrid Open later this month or even the Rome Masters in early May might have been a natural moment for Djokovic to step onto the red dirt, but his new philosophy for 2025 saw him take up his entry in Monte Carlo.

Ranking points were up for grabs and getting into the top four of the ATP list could be important in his mission to win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title at the French Open or Wimbledon over the next few weeks.

Yet it was clear that Djokovic was not ready to play in Monte Carlo and he confirmed as much in a brutally honest post-match press conference.

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“It was actually more like the worst day,” said Djokovic. “Look, I was hoping this was not going to happen, but it was quite a high probability I’m going to play this way. I don’t know, just horrible. Horrible feeling to play this way and I’m just sorry for all the people who had to witness this.

“I expected myself at least to have put in a decent performance. Not like this, I mean this is horrible. I did not have high expectations, really. I knew I was gonna have a tough opponent and I knew I was gonna probably play pretty bad. But this bad… I didn’t expect.”

Djokovic confirmed his only focus during the European clay court season is the French Open at Roland Garros and that said all we needed to know about his motivation to play in Monte Carlo.

It may be that Djokovic is expecting this to be his final year on the ATP Tour and he is keen to play as many tournaments as possible for one last time, but he must now be reflecting that he made the wrong call by playing in Monte Carlo.

There were big questions over Djokovic’s future in tennis last year as he openly admitted he was not motivated to play in regular tour events, but that mindset appears to have shifted this year as he has played in more events than expected, including an appearance in a tournament in Qatar.

Finding a balance between playing enough matches to stay in shape and not overplaying is a tough task when you are approaching your 38th birthday, with former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash telling Tennis365 that Djokovic may have got it wrong last year.

“Older players fall into this trap every time that they are trying to save their body and they don’t always get a good balance on playing enough matches,” Cash told Tennis365.

“You tend to see older players start to lose five-set matches or have more bad days and that’s natural.

“That’s match toughness. I know Novak has played a lot of matches over the course of his career, but he still needs to be match-tough going into a best-of-five-set Grand Slam tournament.

“We often say you can’t afford to get into tough five-set matches in the first week of a Slam as you need to stay fresh and that’s especially true when you get older.

“If you don’t have enough matches under your belt and you play a long one early on, I tell you what, you are going to be so sore.

“That’s the big secret for Novak. If he can get his schedule right and make sure he has the right number of matches under his belt, he can win again.”

Djokovic was not ready to play in Monte Carlo and didn’t need to put himself through the trauma of losing for a second successive match against Tabilo, so don’t be surprised if the most successful male tennis player of all-time opts to take some time away from competitive action now as he plots his French Open masterplan.

READ NEXT: ‘There was certainly something wrong with Novak Djokovic at the Monte Carlo Masters’

The post Novak Djokovic’s schedule may be hurting him in 2025 – does he need to change direction? appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz reached an impressive win milestone with his thrilling three-set victory over an inspired Arthur Fils in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Monte Carlo Masters.

The four-time major champion had to dig deep to prevail 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 after two hours and 23 minutes in a highly-entertaining first encounter with Fils.

Alcaraz was under huge pressure from a brilliant Fils for much of the match, but he displayed grit to reach his maiden semi-final in Monte Carlo.

The 21-year-old Spaniard lost serve three times in the opening set and had to save seven break points en route to stealing the second — including three in a crucial hold at 5-5, 0-40.

The world No 3 then trailed the 20-year-old Frenchman 1-3 in the decider before winning five straight games to seal a valuable triumph on Court Rainier III.

After beating the world No 15, Alcaraz told Tennis TV: “I was just wanted to stay strong… Waited for my chances. I felt in the first set, he played well. Probably a few mistakes from my side.

“His level is pretty high right now. He puts a lot of pressure on his opponents. I could feel it. I think in some moments he made a few mistakes and I tried to make the most of it. Just tried to wait for my chances and tried to take it.

“In the second set, I saved break points at 5-5. In the third set, I tried to stay there, playing good tennis. When I was a break down I tried to keep going, playing aggressively. Be strong mentally, physically, and waiting for my chances.”

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Alcaraz’s victory was his 70th at Masters 1000 level, which is the third most any player has registered at this category of event before turning 22. The Spaniard will celebrate his 22nd birthday on 5 May.

Rafael Nadal (110) and Novak Djokovic (75) are the only men to achieve more Masters 1000 match wins than Alcaraz before turning 22.

Most Masters 1000 wins before turning 22

1) Rafael Nadal – 110

2) Novak Djokovic – 75

3) Carlos Alcaraz – 70

4) Andy Roddick – 67

=5) Andy Murray – 64

=5) Lleyton Hewitt – 64

This was Alcaraz’s 19th Masters 1000 win on clay, with 15 of these victories coming at the Madrid Open, three in Monte Carlo and one in Rome.

Alcaraz will face Spanish compatriot and world No 42 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the semi-finals in Monte Carlo.

Davidovich Fokina, a runner-up in Monte Carlo in 2022, downed Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-2 in the last eight.

READ NEXT: WATCH: Full trailer for ‘Carlos Alcaraz: My Way’ revealed – with star cameos

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Carlos Alcaraz has reached his maiden Monte Carlo Masters semi-final and he had to do it the hard way as he found himself behind in each of the three sets against Arthur Fils in the quarter-final.

Four-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz was 0-3 down in the first set, 5-5 [0-40] in the second set and 1-3 behind in the deciding set but he somehow managed to come away with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory and a place in the last four.

The Spaniard’s previous best performance at the ATP Masters 1000 event was a second-round appearance in 2022 as he missed the two most recent editions due to injury.

But he now finds himself just two wins away from a maiden Monte Carlo Masters title with compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina up next after he beat Alexei Popyrin.

Asked about getting out of trouble in all three sets, Alcaraz said: “I was just wanted to stay strong… Waited for my chances. I felt in the first set he played well. Probably a few mistakes from my side.

“His level is pretty high right now. He puts a lot of pressure on his opponents. I could feel it. I think in some moments he made a few mistakes and I tried to make the most of it. Just tried to wait for my chances and tried to take it.

“In the second set I saved break points at 5-5. In the third set I tried to stay there, playing good tennis. When I was a break down I tried to keep going, playing aggressively. Be strong mentally, physically, and waiting for my chances.”

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The 21-year-old, who turns 22 on May 5, is into his 10th ATP Masters 1000 semi-final and he has joined an exclusive club of players to reach double figures before turning 22.

The great Rafael Nadal is well clear at No 1 as he reached the last four of 18 Masters events before turning 22 with Novak Djokovic next best on 13 and Lleyton Hewitt on 12.

He won’t move up on that list as the next ATP Masters 1000 event semi-final, the Italian Open, will take place after his birthday.

ATP Rankings Boost

But one place where he could move up in the next few days is the ATP Rankings as he has closed the gap to Alexander Zverev in second place.

Jannik Sinner is untouchable at No 1 as he is on 9,930 points at the top of the Live Rankings while Zverev is on 7,595 points after his second-round exit.

Alcaraz has moved to 7,120 points and he will add another 250 points if he wins his semi-final while a title will run will push him to 7,720 points and help him to reclaim No 2 spot.

The post Carlos Alcaraz edges closer to Alexander Zverev in rankings with Monte Carlo feat appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz says that he is ‘feeling better and better’ on the clay courts of Monte Carlo, after he dispatched Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-1 to reach his first quarter-final at the prestigious event.

The Spaniard looked like he was in trouble against Francisco Cerundolo during his opening match, losing the first set 6-3, before going on to dominate the Argentinian 6-0, 6-1 in the next two sets.

Against the German, Alcaraz continued that form and only improved as the match went along.

“Honestly it was difficult, Danny [Altmaier] is playing great,” stated Alcaraz.

“He’s a solid clay-court player with a difficult game: a lot of topspin shots and [he’s] really good physically. The score doesn’t show how difficult it was, I had to battle in the first set.

“It was good to get a break before the new balls, which helped with the serve. In the second set, I could be myself more, play more aggressively than in the first, and I took my chances.”

The former world No 1’s result means that he has now reached the quarterfinals of every Grand Slam and Masters 1000 tournament, apart from the Rome Masters – which he has only played once.

“I just felt more comfortable [compared to his first match],” continued the four-time Grand Slam champion.

“I think when you are coming to a new surface, you have to just play more time just to get better and better, to feel more comfortable.

“From the first match, I realised how I have to play here on clay, that I have to be myself all the time. That’s the way that I enjoy playing tennis. Just playing aggressive just doesn’t qualify me, and I realised that after the first set in the first round.

“After that, I think I’m just feeling better and better. As much time as I spending on court, I think I’m going to feel better.

“Hopefully in quarter-final, let’s see how it’s going to be, but I guess I’m going to feel better moving, playing, so I think it’s going to be better.”

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Alcaraz will next face Arthur Fils, who dominated former Monte Carlo champion Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-3 in just 61 minutes.

The Frenchman is the only singles player to reach the last eight of the Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo tournaments.

“He’s playing great,” commented the reigning Roland Garros champion.

“I think he’s the only player who made at least the quarter-final in every Masters 1000 (this year).

“His level is really high right now. I saw a little bit from his match today, and he’s playing great. I’m not going to be scared; that’s for sure.

“I’ll just try to play my tennis, try to show good tennis, put pressure on him. Let’s see how it’s going to be, but I’m excited about facing him for the first time.

“It’s going to be a really tough battle. But at the same time, it’s going to be beautiful to play and I guess beautiful to watch.”

The post ‘I’m just feeling better and better’ – Carlos Alcaraz gives insight into key playstyle change after reaching last 8 appeared first on Tennis365.

Arthur Fils has received a glowing endorsement from Gilles Simon amid his recent rise towards the top of tennis

French star Fils has long been recognised as one of the hottest prospects in the men’s game, and was just 18 when he won his first ATP title at the Lyon Open back in 2023.

However, a significant 2024 season saw him win ATP 500 titles in Hamburg and Tokyo and reach the second week of a major for the first time at Wimbledon, making his top-20 debut by the end of the year.

The 20-year-old made his first Masters 1000 quarter-final in Indian Wells last month, and has since progressed to the last eight of both the Miami Open and this week’s Monte Carlo Masters.

Fils is now the youngest man since the Masters 1000 format was introduced in 1990 to reach the last eight of the first three Masters events of the year, breaking Rafael Nadal’s record from 2007.

And, already sitting at a career-high of world No 15, he is currently projected to rise to world No 13 amid his run in Monte Carlo.

Fils looks set to be the leading star of a new generation of French tennis, following in the footsteps of the likes of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet, Gael Monfils, and Simon across the past two decades.

And, speaking exclusively to Tennis365, Simon – a former world No 6 – has revealed his “hope” that Fils can compete for the biggest titles in tennis.

He said: “I knew Arthur – I saw him coming, because I was still on tour when he broke through the challenger level and went on tour.

“As a French player, I want the French players to play as good as possible. I always pay attention to what they are doing, even if I have no connection.

“I don’t work with him, I don’t really give advice or anything, I’m just really a supporter. I watch, and I just wish him the best.

“He’s improving, he’s getting a bit more attention than the other players, of course. I’m interested and I hope he’s going to win big titles.

“I really care about what he’s doing, even though he’s far away, and I’m really happy when the results are going in the right direction.”

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Things are certainly heading in the right direction for Fils in Monte Carlo, who has largely cruised into the last eight.

After coming from a set down to beat Tallon Griekspoor in round one, the 12th seed then breezed past recent Bucharest champion Flavio Cobolli in straight sets before an emphatic 6-2, 6-3 win over seventh seed Andrey Rublev.

Victory over world No 9 Rublev was the seventh top-10 win of his career and his second of 2025, having beaten world No 2 Alexander Zverev in the fourth round of the Miami Open last month.

Now, Fils will look to record another top-10 win and seal one of the biggest triumphs of his career against world No 3 Carlos Alcaraz on Friday.

It will be the first meeting between the two men, with a first Monte Carlo Masters semi-final at stake for both.

Alcaraz battled back from a set down to beat Francisco Cerundolo in his opening match, though he was in scintillating form against Daniel Altmaier in his third-round clash on Thursday.

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Paul Annacone, a former coach of Roger Federer and Pete Sampras, has offered his perspective on Novak Djokovic after the Serbian’s surprise early Monte Carlo exit.

Djokovic struggled badly in a 3-6, 4-6 loss against 32nd-ranked Alejandro Tabilo in the second round of the 2025 Monte Carlo Masters.

It was the tennis great’s third defeat in his opening match at a tournament in 2025 after losses to Matteo Berrettini in Doha and Botic van de Zandschulp in Indian Wells.

The legendary Serb, who was a runner-up at the Miami Open at the end of March, now holds a 12-6 record this season.

Djokovic’s second appearance of the clay season will come at the Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid, which will begin on April 22.

Annacone, who reached a career-high ranking of world No 12 in his playing days, explained why he was not concerned by Djokovic’s Monte Carlo defeat.

“Look, I think the hardest thing is, when you win as much as these all time greats win, you tend to only make news when you lose,” the American told Tennis Channel.

“And Novak now, because he’s not playing that much, he is losing what seems to be an inordinate amount of times.

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“But guess what, the most important thing for players at this stage, in this level, is to periodise, ‘How am I gonna get ready for Roland Garros? How am I gonna get ready for Wimbledon?’

“And guess what, he’s gonna have some of these losses, but because he knows how good he is, he’s not going to panic, his confidence isn’t going to crash, it’s about staying healthy and trying to peak at the right moment.

“So I’ve always believed that you never really want to bet against greats, particularly all time greats in the biggest moments.

“He’s not gonna probably win three and four majors over a couple year span all the time now, but he’s not going to be in every single major. But when the guy wants to play, I’m not betting against him in a big tournament yet.”

Andy Roddick pointed out that the conditions in Monte Carlo made life difficult for Djokovic.

“You know what else is kryptonite for someone who’s 38? Cold, slow and balls that are unresponsive,” the former world No 1 explained.

“We keep referencing him winning on clay in the Olympics last year — it was 90 degrees during parts of the Olympics last year. The ball was jumping, he got a little help. He got no help today in these conditions.”

READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic asked about injury scare and eye problem after Monte Carlo Masters shock

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Andy Roddick has hit out at those who are calling for Carlos Alcaraz to replace his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero as he claimed expectations should be “reset” after the Big Three era.

Ferrero has been an integral figure in Alcaraz’s development as a player and meteoric rise to the top of the sport.

During an illustrious playing career spanning from 1998 to 2012, Ferrero reached world No 1 and won 16 titles, including the 2003 French Open.

Alcaraz has been coached by Ferrero since he started training at his compatriot’s academy in September 2018, when he was 16.

The Spanish star became the youngest world No 1 in ATP history after winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open as a 19-year-old.

The 21-year-old, who is currently ranked third, has won a further three majors under Ferrero’s tutelage.

Despite the huge success the pair’s partnership has brought, Ferrero’s role has come under scrutiny from some fans amid a mixed start to the 2025 season for Alcaraz.

Ferrero faced criticism from some quarters for Alcaraz’s tactics in his defeat to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarter-finals in January.

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Alcaraz won his only title of the year to date at the Rotterdam Open in February and has since reached the quarter-finals in Doha, semi-finals in Indian Wells and second round in Miami. He is currently competing at the Monte Carlo Masters.

In a discussion on Tennis Channel, Roddick backed Ferrero and argued Alcaraz is being unfairly judged by standards of success set by the dominance of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

“Do you guys remember the crazy times before the Big Three when players didn’t make the finals every week,” said the former world No 1.

“Yeah, we kind of have to reset expectations, and one of [Paul] Annacone’s former charges, Pete Sampras, as great as he was, winner of 14 majors, six year-end No 1’s — he would lose third round sometimes. He just would. He would win one or two majors a year instead of three.

“We have to reset expectations, right? Carlos Alcaraz already has more majors than Andy Murray, he’s halfway towards icons like [Jimmy] Connors, [Andre] Agassi. It’s just absurd what he’s done.

“We need to reset a little bit, and anyone calling for a coaching change doesn’t know anything about coaching.”

READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic asked about injury scare and eye problem after Monte Carlo Masters shock

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