Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz to win the Monte Carlo Masters final, according to multiple reports. Sinner won the final 7-6(5) 6-3, coming back from a break down in both sets and winning the last five games in a row. This victory marks Sinner's fourth straight Masters 1000 title and his first big title on clay. The world No. 1 ranking was up for grabs in the final, with Alcaraz and Sinner locked in a battle for the top spot.
Sinner's historic season continued with this comeback win, as he has not lost a match since February 19, according to multiple reports. He became the second man after Novak Djokovic in 2015 to start the season by winning Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo back-to-back-to-back, and the first to complete the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells and Miami) without dropping a set, according to multiple reports. Sinner bounced back to complete the Sunshine Double, winning Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back earlier in March. He had never reached the Monte Carlo Masters final before, having lost in the semi-finals in both 2023 and 2024.
Alcaraz and Sinner aren't as far ahead of their rivals as it may seem.
Alcaraz's performance in the final was marked by struggles, with both players affected by windy conditions, though Alcaraz was more troubled, according to multiple reports. Alcaraz was unable to hold onto an early break lead in both sets, making more mistakes and seeming more impatient than Sinner. Despite the loss, Alcaraz congratulated Sinner during his runner-up speech and filmed Sinner's victorious pool jump. This was the first meeting between Alcaraz and Sinner in 2026, adding another chapter to their intense rivalry.
The rankings battle between Alcaraz and Sinner intensified with this result, as they have shared the last nine Grand Slam titles and sit thousands of points clear of their rivals at Nos. 1 and 2 in the rankings, according to multiple reports. They faced off for the 17th time in the Monte Carlo final. Alcaraz acknowledged the pressure, stating that he expects to lose the world No. 1 ranking, as reported by multiple sources.
Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Novak Djokovic are players who could bother Alcaraz and Sinner.
Sinner's path to the final showcased his recent form, as he has been in excellent form this season, picking up titles at Indian Wells and Miami earlier in March, according to research sources. He beat Ugo Humbert 6-3 6-0 in his opening match at the Monte Carlo Masters and booked his place in the semi-finals with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime. Sinner and Alexander Zverev faced off in a fourth straight Masters 1000 semi-final at Monte Carlo, with Sinner having gotten the better of Zverev at the Paris Masters in November, and in Indian Wells and Miami last month. Sinner's record run of 37 straight sets won at Masters 1000 level ended when Tomas Machac took him to a decider earlier in the tournament, according to multiple reports.
Alcaraz entered the tournament with strong clay credentials, as he is the defending champion at the Monte Carlo Masters. He had a stellar clay swing in 2025, winning the Monte Carlo Masters, Italian Open, and French Open, and finishing runner-up in Barcelona, according to multiple reports. Alcaraz is defending thousands of ranking points from last year's clay season. He had extra time to prepare for the clay season after an early exit at the Miami Open last month, according to research sources. Alcaraz won the Australian Open and the ATP 500 event in Doha, but lost in the Indian Wells semi-finals and was stunned in the third round of the Miami Open.
I was shocked to see Sinner suffer a five-set defeat to Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals earlier this year.
Sinner's victory on clay is notable given his past challenges on the surface. Clay is Sinner's weakest surface, according to multiple reports. He missed the Monte Carlo Masters last year while serving a suspension and missed the first half of the clay swing in 2025 while serving another suspension, according to research sources. Sinner has started incorporating the dropshot into his game, especially on clay, with Alcaraz noting that it is becoming a good weapon for him, as reported by multiple sources. Alcaraz, who has arguably the best dropshot on the ATP Tour, joked about Sinner possibly watching his tapes.
Other notable players at the tournament included Alexander Zverev, who has not made the Monte Carlo semi-finals since 2022. Zverev trailed qualifier Cristian Garin 0-4 and 2-5 in the final set of his opening match but stormed back to win. He finished third in a fan poll with 3.82% of the votes to win the Monte Carlo Masters, according to research sources. The semi-finals featured the top three seeds (Alcaraz, Sinner, Alexander Zverev) and hometown hero Valentin Vacherot.
Nobody could challenge Alcaraz and Sinner.
Valentin Vacherot emerged as a surprise semi-finalist, marking a rapid rise in his career. Vacherot was ranked outside the top 250 a year ago and needed a wildcard to play the Monte Carlo Masters. He won the Shanghai Masters as a qualifier ranked No. 204 in the world last Autumn, beating Novak Djokovic on the way and facing his cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the final. Vacherot is now ranked at a career-high of No. 23 and will break into the top 20 next week. He beat top-five seeds Lorenzo Musetti and Alex de Minaur en route to the Monte Carlo semi-finals, including a 6-4 3-6 6-3 victory over De Minaur in the quarter-finals, and faced Alcaraz for the first time in the semi-finals.
Teenage sensation Joao Fonseca showed his potential at the tournament, having long been touted as the likely 'third man' to join Alcaraz and Sinner at the top. Fonseca has two titles under his belt and is ranked No. 40 in the world. He made his debut at the Monte Carlo Masters this week. Fonseca faced Sinner and Alcaraz in Indian Wells and Miami, respectively, losing both matches. He pushed Zverev to a third set in the Monte Carlo quarter-finals but lost.
I set my sights on becoming world No. 1 but admit I'm not close yet.
The tournament saw several early exits and surprises. Daniil Medvedev suffered a 6-0 6-0 thrashing in his opening match. Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered a first-ever first-round exit at the Monte Carlo Masters. Cameron Norrie was the only Brit in the draw and fell away in round two. Alcaraz lost the second set in his round-of-16 match against Tomas Etcheverry, whom he faced for the first time on the ATP Tour, though they met at Challenger level six years ago.
In doubles and other match details, Sinner teamed up with Zizou Bergs to win a men's doubles first-round match at the Monte Carlo Masters, beating Casper Ruud and Tomas Machac 6-4, 7-5, according to research sources. Sinner and Bergs served well in the doubles match, hitting eight aces and winning 71% of their points on first serve, and converted four of nine break-point chances. Alcaraz beat Sebastian Baez 6-1 6-3 in his opening match and saw off Alexander Bublik in dominant fashion, winning the last 10 games in a row to beat him 6-3 6-0 in the quarter-finals. Bublik has a 2-5 head-to-head over Sinner but has never taken a set off him at Majors.
Alcaraz and Sinner are 'untouchable' at Grand Slams.
Fan predictions and poll results highlighted the dominance of Alcaraz and Sinner. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are leading in early fan predictions for the Monte Carlo Masters, taking nearly 90% of the votes in a TalkingPoints poll, according to research sources. Stefanos Tsitsipas, a three-time champion in Monte Carlo, secured 2.55% of the votes in the poll, while Lorenzo Musetti had just under one per cent of fan support.
Reactions and expert opinions on the Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry varied. According to Daily Express - Sport, Juan Carlos Ferrero described Alcaraz and Sinner as not being as far ahead of their rivals as it may seem. According to Daily Express - Sport, Toni Nadal described nobody being able to challenge Alcaraz and Sinner. According to Daily Express - Sport, Alexander Bublik described Alcaraz and Sinner as 'untouchable' at Grand Slams.
The implications of Sinner's win are significant for both players. Sinner's clay breakthrough comes as the Monte Carlo Masters started seven days after he won the Miami Open. Alcaraz is already back in action at the Barcelona Open after the Monte Carlo final, where he is a two-time former champion. Alcaraz stated that he is focused on playing his best on clay and improving his serve to reclaim the No. 1 ranking, as reported by multiple sources. He also noted that Sinner will be extra hungry at big clay tournaments this season and will soon take the No. 1 ranking. Alcaraz took five days off to play golf after his early exit in Miami.
Several unknowns remain following the tournament. The exact number of ranking points Alcaraz is defending from last year's clay season, and how that compares to Sinner's points to defend, has not been confirmed. The current head-to-head record between Alcaraz and Sinner after the Monte Carlo Masters final is also unclear.