World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion, and world No. 2 Jannik Sinner have not played an official match against each other in 2026.
Alcaraz has conceded that he expects to lose the top ranking to Sinner soon, noting that Sinner is likely to gain points in tournaments where he has none to defend. Sinner arrives in Monte Carlo in dominant form, having not lost a match since February 19. He became the first man to win the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments back-to-back without dropping a set earlier this season.
However, his streak of 37 consecutive sets won at the Masters 1000 level ended in a previous round against Tomas Machac. Sinner missed this tournament last year due to a suspension, and he has never won a major title on clay, adding intrigue to his current campaign. Alcaraz advanced to the semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Alexander Bublik, following a round of 16 win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
His recent form includes a runner-up finish in Barcelona in 2025. Alcaraz has taken note of Sinner's evolving game, particularly his use of drop shots. Alcaraz also expressed surprise that Sinner chose to play in Monte Carlo after the demanding Indian Wells and Miami swing, attributing it to Sinner's excellent physical condition.
After Miami, Alcaraz himself took a five-day break to play golf and reset. The semi-finals feature a major surprise in Valentin Vacherot, who is ranked at a career-high world No. 23 and is guaranteed to break into the top 20 next week.
Vacherot earned his spot by defeating Lorenzo Musetti and Alex de Minaur. He now faces Alcaraz for the first time. In the other half of the draw, Sinner secured his semi-final berth with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime.
He will face Alexander Zverev, who advanced with a 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-3 victory over world No. 40 Joao Fonseca. Fonseca, who has lost matches to both Alcaraz and Sinner, reflected on the gap to the top players.
External perspectives highlight the dominance of the Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry at the sport's biggest events, with Alexander Bublik noting that the pair are untouchable at Grand Slams.