He wasn’t even in the Top 200 six months ago. On Thursday Valentin Vacherot came from a set down to beat Hubert Hurkacz 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4 and became the first Monegasque player to reach the quarterfinals of the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters in the Open Era.

That milestone reaches back to the tournament’s first Open Era edition in 1969. By advancing to the last eight this week, Vacherot is projected to break into the ATP Top 20 when the new rankings are released next Monday, the first player from his country to reach that group.

Vacherot’s rise over the past six months has been rapid. His breakthrough began in Shanghai last fall, where he won the first ATP title of his career at a Masters 1000 and jumped from No. 204 to No. 40 on October 13, 2025. A few weeks later, on November 3, 2025, he moved from No. 40 to No. 30 after reaching a second consecutive Masters 1000 quarterfinal indoors in Paris.

This week marks his third quarterfinal in the last five Masters 1000 tournaments. Current projections show him moving from No. 23 to No. 19 or No. 20 if his run ends at the quarterfinal stage, to No. 17 with a semifinal appearance, to No. 15 with a final and to No. 12 with a title.

The 27-year-old entered his home event already as the highest-ranked Monegasque in ATP rankings history, which dates back to 1973. With the projected move into the Top 20, Vacherot will set another first for his country and could reach the Top 15 if he continues to advance.

Standing between him and further progress at his home tournament is world No. 6 Alex de Minaur, who earlier beat Belgian qualifier Alexander Blockx 7-5, 7-6 (4). Vacherot’s run in Monte Carlo has altered his career trajectory and positioned him for a landmark improvement in the ATP standings.

Quarterfinal Friday at Monte Carlo brings four matches that should match the event’s pedigree. The clay surface guarantees extended, athletic rallies, and the Masters 1000 status means several of the tour’s biggest names will be on court. The setting — Monaco and neighboring Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France — adds Mediterranean atmosphere when the weather cooperates.

Alexander Zverev meets Fonseca in what will be their first career meeting. The two present a clear stylistic contrast: Zverev uses depth, heavy topspin and his 6’6 reach to control the baseline, while Fonseca attacks with a fearsome forehand; on Thursday his 105-m.p.h. shot left Matteo Berrettini shaking his head. Both players had uneven 2025 seasons but have shown renewal recently — Fonseca reached the fourth round in Indian Wells and Zverev was a Miami semifinalist. Each survived a three-setter in Monte Carlo (Zverev over Cristian Garin, Fonseca over Arthur Rinderknech) and each lost two-set matches to Jannik Sinner earlier this year. Experience and steadiness edge the pick here. Winner: Zverev

Jannik Sinner appears to hold the numbers in his favor against Felix Auger-Aliassime. Sinner is No. 2, Auger-Aliassime No. 7. They met four times in 2025 with Sinner victorious in each meeting. Sinner enters on a 14-match win streak after going 12-0 at Indian Wells and Miami; Auger-Aliassime was 3-2 during the Sunshine Swing. Sinner ceded his first set since February to Tomas Machac on Thursday, while Auger-Aliassime rallied from 0-3 against Casper Ruud to win. Auger-Aliassime has weapons and can take over rallies, but Sinner’s precision tends to expose weaker wings. Winner: Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Bublik meet for the first time. Bublik was enthused after a tight second-set win over Jiri Lehecka and carries a resume that includes beating a Top 2 player (Sinner in Halle) and a Roland Garros quarterfinal in 2025. Alcaraz has shown occasional lapses lately, including an early Miami exit and a dropped set to Tomas Etcheverry, so the Spaniard’s early level on Friday will be decisive. Winner: Alcaraz

Alex de Minaur faces local favorite Vacherot, the Monégasque who has advanced with two three-set wins and a close two-setter, buoyed by home support. “With the crowd and everything, it was really easy to get back in there.” Vacherot credits his “physicality” for that confidence. He closed out Hubert Hurkacz late on Thursday and will meet a fresher, more experienced De Minaur; the Australian’s steadiness should make Vacherot work for every point.

Holger Rune has confirmed his intention to play the Bitpanda Hamburg Open as he works back from an Achilles injury. The 22-year-old, a former world No. 4, appears to have chosen the ATP 500 event — which falls the week before Roland Garros — as a likely starting point for his return to the tour. The tournament announced Rune’s plans in an Instagram collaboration post, with the caption: “The comeback begins,”.

Rune remains on the entry list for the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome’s ATP Masters 1000 event that takes place before Hamburg, leaving open the possibility of a sequence of clay-court appearances. He has not competed since last October, when he suffered an Achilles tear at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm.

Throughout his recovery Rune has shared regular updates on social media, documenting a rehabilitation and training program carried out between Doha and Monte Carlo. Early in the year he published a video of himself hitting forehands from a fixed position. In February he offered a fuller assessment of his progress: “Just entered week 17 of my rehab and did my first small jumps. Progressing very well, step by step. Just before Christmas I could barely walk, so the progress is extremely satisfying for me.”

That timeline underlines the measured nature of his comeback. The combination of kept entries and public rehabilitation posts gives a clear picture: Rune and his team are plotting a return that could include Rome and Hamburg to rebuild match fitness ahead of the remainder of the clay season. How quickly he moves through practice, small on-court movement and competitive matches will determine whether that plan comes to fruition.

Photo credit: © 2025 Pedro Salado