Alexander Zverev crashed out of the Monte-Carlo Masters after losing 2-6 6-3 7-5 to Matteo Berrettini on Tuesday.

Tournament top seed and world number two Zverev started the year strongly with a run to the Australian Open final but has struggled for any kind of form since finishing runner-up to Jannik Sinner in Melbourne.

Zverev has managed just six wins in his 12 matches since that final, with only two victories in his last six.

Berrettini capitalised on his form and earned a well-deserved victory to book his place in the third round for just the second time, winning in two hours and 27 minutes.

Zverev had taken the first set comfortably, but a hard-fought break of serve in the second allowed Berrettini to swing the momentum and level the match.

After a tense battle in the decider, Berrettini failed to serve out the match at 5-4 but recovered strongly, winning an absorbing 48-shot rally at deuce in the next game, finally breaking through Zverev’s defences with a thumping forehand winner.

And after taking a 6-5 lead, he made no mistake at the second time of asking, serving out the win to book a last-16 meeting with Lorenzo Musetti or Jiri Lehecka.

1 - Matteo Berrettini is the first player to defeat the #1 seeded after having lost the first set on the latter's seasonal tournament debut in Monte-Carlo since Magnus Larsson in 1997 (3-6 6-2 6-3 vs Pete Sampras). Topple. #RolexMonteCarloMasters | @ROLEXMCMASTERS @atptour pic.twitter.com/J7QzYFTLsZ

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) April 8, 2025

"The gameplan was the same but I changed my attitude and the way I was believing in my strokes," Berrettini said.

"I wasn't hitting my forehand and serve like I had in previous days and I had to adapt and adjust to the conditions and Sascha was playing unbelievable, so it was not easy.

“Then I told myself to be more aggressive and if I am going to lose this match, I am going to do the right things and luckily it worked."

Another disappointment for Zverev comes after quarter-final exits earlier this year in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, as well as that heartbreaking loss in Melbourne.

The German's loss confirmed that when Sinner returns to tennis following his three-month doping ban, he will do so as the ATP's top-ranked player.

Earlier on Tuesday, Holger Rune was forced to retire 42 minutes into his first-round clash with Nuno Borges, who was 6-2 3-0 up at the time of his opponent's injury.

Data debrief: Berrettini stuns Monte-Carlo

Berrettini is the first player to defeat the tournament’s top seed having lost the first set in the opening round at Monte-Carlo since 1997.

On that occasion, Magnus Larsson eliminated Pete Sampras (3-6 6-2 6-3).

The Italian has now won 17 of his last 18 matches on clay.