Jannik Sinner has reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking after overpowering Carlos Alcaraz to win the Monte-Carlo Masters final on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Italian secured a 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory in challenging conditions. This was the first clay court encounter between the top two players in men’s tennis since last year’s French Open final, which Alcaraz won in five sets.
Sinner Extends Winning Streak
Sinner managed the swirling wind in Monaco more effectively. He extended his winning run at the Masters 1000 level to 22 matches and reduced his head-to-head deficit with the Spaniard to 10-7.
“We came here just trying to get as many matches as possible, having good feedback before other big tournaments coming up,” Sinner said on court. “Today was very high level from both of us.
“… Getting back to No. 1 means a lot to me. At the same, as I always say, the ranking is secondary. I’m very happy to win at least one big trophy on this surface. I haven’t done it before, so it means a lot to me.”
In the new rankings released on Monday, Sinner moved 110 points ahead of Alcaraz, who had been No. 1 since November.
Alcaraz’s Early Lead and Sinner’s Comeback
Alcaraz started strongly, racing to a 2-0 first-set lead. He held comfortably in the opening game before converting his first break point in the second, producing two fine forehands as Sinner struggled to land his first serve.
However, Alcaraz was broken back instantly. He then had to survive break points in the fifth and ninth games as Sinner piled on the pressure in an error-strewn first set that went to a tiebreak.
Alcaraz faltered first in the tiebreak. Sinner, having found a serving rhythm, established a 5-2 lead, only to put a forehand into the net on set point. Sinner eventually took the tiebreaker 7-5 courtesy of a double fault.
In the opening game of the second set, Alcaraz was unable to convert two break points, letting Sinner off the hook. Alcaraz eventually secured a break, but Sinner continued to pressure the 22-year-old’s serve. Sinner eventually broke back in the sixth game.
Sinner repeated the feat two games later to establish a 5-3 lead and served out the win in 2 hours, 15 minutes.
Looking Ahead to Paris and London
“It’s nice, obviously. I would be a liar to say anything else,” Sinner said. “But it doesn’t change my thought process. I’m playing to win tournaments and Carlos and I are very close, so the rankings can change from one week to the next.
“There are two big Slams coming up, Paris and London. Let’s see where we are after those tournaments,” Sinner added. “Right now, I’m focusing more on those than on the ranking. But waking up again as No. 1 is pretty nice.”
“I’m not surprised,” said Alcaraz, who had won his last 17 matches on clay. “We’ve already seen his level on this surface and he’s improving a lot year after year. He can win any tournament on any surface. He understands the game very well on clay.”