Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece celebrates with the trophy and ball children after his victory over Casper Ruud of Norway within the Men’s Double’s Final on day eight of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters at Monte-Carlo Country Club on April 14, 2024 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Stefanos Tsitsipas swept apart Casper Ruud 6-1, 6-4 on Sunday to win the clay-court Monte Carlo Masters for the third time in 4 years, after which wept in his chair.

Tsitsipas sat holding his head in his arms, briefly crying as he took in his first title of the 12 months and largest match victory for 2 years.

“I’m very proud of myself today. I had been waiting for a moment like this for a long time,” mentioned the Twelfth-ranked Tsitsipas, who reached a career-high No. 3 rating in 2021. “I did not know what was going to happen this week.”

The big-serving Greek additionally received the title in 2021 and 2022 and this newest trophy on the Monte Carlo Country Club took him to 11 profession titles total.

“It has been very difficult, so to be back on the podium, winning tournaments, just feels amazing,” Tsitsipas mentioned. “The third time is even more special than the first or second time. This is an unbelievable win for me. Capturing that win today was nerve-wracking, I really wanted this trinity.”

It was his first trophy since August final 12 months, when he received a modest ATP 250-level match on outside exhausting courts at Los Cabos in Mexico.

This was rather more prestigious and he shared a heat hug on the internet with Ruud, who's chasing his first title of the 12 months and stays caught on 10 total.

The match featured former French Open runner-ups and provided an early indication of kind heading into the clay-court main at subsequent month's Roland Garros.

Tsitsipas was an outsider coming into this match, the place he was seeded Twelfth.

But he bought the higher of Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner within the semifinals, handing him solely his second defeat of the season to arrange a maybe sudden closing towards Ruud, who beat top-ranked Novak Djokovic in Saturday's different semi.

Tsitsipas took an early management.

He broke Ruud's serve and held for 3-1, then secured one other break of serve when eighth-seeded Ruud flapped a free forehand into the web from the again of the courtroom. A nervous-looking Ruud double-faulted on set level.

Ruud improved within the second set and pressured Tsitsipas, who saved three break factors and took 13 minutes to carry serve in a tricky seventh recreation.

That gave the impression to be Ruud's final likelihood whereas additionally summing up his erratic match, the place he made too many unforced errors and did not convert any of his eight break-point possibilities.

Tsitsipas hit an ace to win his subsequent service recreation, leaving Ruud needing to carry serve to remain within the match.

An unforced error at 30-30 noticed Ruud patting a straightforward-looking backhand lengthy to supply Tsitsipas a primary match level.

He seized the second.

Tsitsipas dominated a short rally and clinched victory with a forehand winner, then slid on his again along with his arms outstretched and put his arms on his face.

“I managed the point relatively well and finished it with the winner," Tsitsipas said. “I showed some ruthless tennis. From the beginning to the end, my play was cohesive.”

Tsitsipas will enhance to No. 7 when the ATP rankings are launched on Monday.