Daniil Medvedev had an explosive moment on the court as he repeatedly smashed his racket and disposed of the broken pieces in a nearby trash bin following a disheartening 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Italian wildcard Matteo Berrettini at the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday.
This match marked the first time the world No. 10 suffered a complete shutout at the tour level, concluding in just 49 minutes. Medvedev struggled significantly, failing to secure a single game point on his serve and accumulating 27 unforced errors throughout the contest. Berrettini, who now advances to the round of 16, will face João Fonseca next, after the young Brazilian triumphed over Arthur Rinderknech with a score of 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
For Berrettini, this was a historic victory, as it was his first tour-level match won with a score of 6-0, 6-0, and it also marked his first win against a top-10 player since he defeated Alexander Zverev in last year’s Monte Carlo event. Reflecting on his performance, he stated, “It was one of the best performances of my life. I think I missed three shots in the entire match, and it is not easy against a tricky player like Daniil. The game plan was perfect, and my strengths were effective.”
Medvedev’s outburst reignited conversations about how athletes express their frustrations during competitions. World No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, expressed support for the concept of “rage rooms,” spaces where players could release their anger away from public view, following Coco Gauff’s recent racket-smashing incident at the Australian Open, which occurred without her realizing it was being broadcast.
In other matches, Alexander Zverev made a dramatic comeback to defeat Chilean qualifier Cristian Garín 4-6, 6-4, 7-5. The world No. 3 faced potential elimination after dropping the first set and finding himself down 4-0 in the third. Garín even had the opportunity to serve for the match at 5-3, but Zverev broke back and won five consecutive games to secure the victory.
“To be honest, my level wasn’t there at all,” Zverev admitted after the match, which lasted two hours and 50 minutes. “But it was my first clay-court match in 11 months… I’m pleased to get the win. It was a challenging match, and he is playing well, especially here.”
Zverev’s next opponent will be unseeded Belgian Zizou Bergs, who achieved a notable victory over 2023 champion Andrey Rublev with a score of 6-4, 6-1. Meanwhile, fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti faced a setback, losing to Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot 7-6 (8), 7-5, marking his second match since retiring from the Australian Open quarter-finals in January due to an upper leg injury.
Sixth seed Félix Auger-Aliassime advanced by defeating Marin Cilic in straight sets, while 2024 finalist Casper Ruud overcame the challenging French player Corentin Moutet. Miami finalist Jiri Lehecka rallied from a set down to win against Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, although two other seeded players, Flavio Cobolli and Francisco Cerundolo, were eliminated by Alexander Blockx and Tomas Machac, respectively.
