In a shocking display of frustration, Daniil Medvedev endured a brutal 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Matteo Berrettini at the Monte Carlo Masters, marking a stark contrast to their previous encounters. The former world No. 1, currently ranked 10th, found himself unable to cope with Berrettini’s powerful play, leading to a series of dramatic racket smashes on the red clay.
Medvedev’s frustrations culminated in a total of seven racket smashes during the match. Following a particularly disheartening loss of his service game in the second set, he was visibly enraged, leading to a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct. As he hurled his racket towards the court’s tarp and ultimately into a nearby trash bin, the crowd responded with sarcastic cheers that underscored the spectacle unfolding.
Despite coming off a stellar performance at Indian Wells, where he defeated world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, Medvedev could not find his rhythm on clay. His statistics for the match reveal the extent of his struggles: he recorded five double faults and managed to land only 36% of his first serves in play, compared to Berrettini’s 65%. Overall, he won a mere 17 points out of 67 in the match, which lasted just 49 minutes.
Berrettini, who was playing this match ranked 90th following a series of injury challenges, delivered a remarkable performance. This victory marked an incredibly rare double bagel against a top-10 opponent, a feat accomplished by only five players since the ATP rankings began in 1973. The last occurrence was a decade ago when David Goffin overwhelmed Tomas Berdych at the Italian Open.
“It’s hard to believe I won like that,” Berrettini mentioned after the match. “I think I only missed three shots the entire time.” This victory undoubtedly serves as a significant confidence boost for the Italian, who received a wild-card invitation to compete in Monte Carlo.
As the tournament progresses, Medvedev will need to regroup and reflect on this unexpected loss as he moves toward the clay season, a surface that has historically posed challenges for him.
