Argentine tennis player Sebastián Báez had a strong start at the Monte-Carlo Masters 1000, defeating the evergreen Swiss Stan Wawrinka in straight sets. Wawrinka is currently in his final professional season. Báez, who had a more than acceptable start to 2026, won 7-5 and 7-5 in a match that lasted one hour and 47 minutes. According to the Argentine News Agency, the match started much better for Wawrinka, the 2014 champion of this tournament, who came out all guns blazing and quickly took a 4-1 lead. However, Báez raised his level significantly, capitalized on his opponent's errors, and managed to turn the tide to win the first set 7-5. In the second set, it seemed Báez would win with ease. He even went up 5-1, but that's when doubts crept in, and Wawrinka quickly recovered to level the score at five games all. It was at that moment that Báez raised his level once again, breaking the Swiss's serve to finally close out the match. In this way, the Argentine advanced to the second round, where he will face a very tough test against the world number one, Carlos Alcaraz.
