Competing for the first time since his opening defeat at the Miami Open last month, Alcaraz clinched the first break of serve but fell a set down after losing five of the following six games.
It only added to the confidence of Cerundolo, who is tied for the most wins on the ATP Tour this season (17).
But Alcaraz raised his level in crucial moments early in the second set – winning two of his three break points in Cerundolo’s opening two service games, while his opponent failed to take any of his four.
Seeking the sixth ATP Masters 1000 title of his career, Alcaraz continued to improve after completing his second-set whitewash, closing out victory with another five-game streak as Cerundolo’s belief waned.
Alcaraz, beaten in his only previous match in Monte Carlo in 2022, said: “I didn’t start well. I made a lot of mistakes. After the first set I knew I had to do something else, play more aggressively, play my own tennis.”
Successful at Roland Garros and Olympic runner-up at the same venue last year, Alcaraz ended 2024 with 12 wins from 13 singles matches on clay.
He added in his post-match interview that it was currently his favourite surface to play on, as he builds towards the defence of his French Open title.
