Portugal narrowly defeated Monaco 3-2 in the Davis Cup World Group I Play-Offs at the Monte-Carlo Country Club over the weekend, with Henrique Rocha securing the decisive victory in the final match.
Monaco hosted Portugal for the Davis Cup World Group I Play-Offs on 1st and 2nd February, with all five matches played on the clay courts of the Monte-Carlo Country Club.
The tie remained competitive throughout, with Monaco pushing their opponents to the final match. However, despite a strong performance, particularly from Valentin Vacherot, Portugal secured the win, with the doubles match and a final singles victory on Sunday proving decisive.
The matches began on Saturday with two singles encounters. Vacherot gave Monaco an early advantage, defeating Jaime Faria 6-4, 6-7, 6-2. After losing the second set in a tiebreak, he responded with a dominant third set to secure the first point for his team.
In the second singles match of the day, Benjamin Balleret faced Portugal’s top-ranked player, Nuno Borges. Balleret struggled against the world No. 61, losing 3-6, 1-6, bringing the overall score to 1-1.
Monaco Life attended the opening match on 2nd February, a crucial doubles encounter featuring Romain Arneodo and Hugo Nys for Monaco against Francisco Cabral and Borges for Portugal. The Monegasque duo fought hard after losing the first set 3-6, bouncing back to win the second 6-3. The third set remained tight, but Portugal secured the decisive break to take the match 7-5.
With Monaco trailing, Vacherot stepped up again in the second match of the day, facing Borges in a crucial singles encounter. After losing the first set 4-6, he raised his level and took control of the match, winning the final two sets 6-1, 6-2. His victory brought Monaco level with the visitors, leaving the outcome to be decided by Romain Arneodo and Henrique Rocha in the last singles match.
Arneodo, facing the 20-year-old rising star from Portugal, fought hard to keep Monaco’s chances alive. Both sets remained close, but Rocha managed to break serve at key moments in each, securing a 7-5, 7-5 win to seal Portugal’s overall victory.
“We knew winning would be very difficult, but the team gave their best effort, and that is the most important thing,” said Monaco’s team captain, Guillaume Couillard, after the tie concluded. “Valentin [Vacherot] was just great. He raised his level throughout the tie and played some excellent tennis.”
The result means that Portugal have earned a place in World Group I and will play again in September, hoping to secure a spot in the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers. Monaco, meanwhile, will play a World Group II tie later this year.
Read related:
Tennis: Monaco to face Portugal in Davis Cup play-offs at Monte-Carlo Country Club
Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.
Photo by Monaco Life