Alcaraz stages thrilling comeback to reach Monte-Carlo semis

Fils proved a resilient opponent, but Alcaraz dug deep to earn a dramatic 4-6 7-5 6-3 win in two hours and 23 minutes on Friday.

The Frenchman came out firing, stunning Alcaraz as he raced into a 3-0 lead, though the world number three soon fought back, getting two breaks of his own to level the score at 4-4.

However, Fils dug deep on his next serve to defend two break points before taking the first set.

Alcaraz got the measure of his opponent in the second, though there was little to split the pair. The Spaniard was on the brink of defeat at 5-5, 0-40 down, but he defended three break points before forcing a decider.

Alcaraz was on the backfoot once again in the third set, but after Fils' three-game winning streak saw him fall to 1-3, he rallied to win the next five games on the bounce to seal his place in the final four.

"I just wanted to stay strong and wait for my chances," Alcaraz said in his on-court interview.

"I think his [Fils] level is high right now, and he puts a lot of pressure on his opponents. I could feel it, but in some moments, he just made a few mistakes, and I tried to make the most of those points and wait for my chances."

Next up for Alcaraz is Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who is into his third ATP-level semi-final in 2025 after beating Alexei Popyrin in straight sets earlier on Friday.

Just look at what it means!@carlosalcaraz @ROLEXMCMASTERS | #RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/fIVcejwHel

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 11, 2025

Alcaraz is the third player since the format's introduction in 1990 to win 70 ATP Masters 1000 main draw matches before turning 22, after Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

He is also just the eighth player to reach 10 ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals in less than 30 appearances.

If Alcaraz earns his first-ever win in Monte-Carlo, he will move up to second in the world rankings, moving above Alexander Zverev, and he is proving a force to be reckoned with back on clay.