Imago
Tennis – Monte Carlo Rolex Masters 2026 – ATP, Tennis Herren – 05/04/2026 – Tennis – Monte Carlo Rolex Masters 2026 – ATP – 05/04/2026 – Carlos Alcaraz – Espagne Monaco PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxBEL Copyright: xChryslenexCaillaudx/Psnewzx
Imago
Tennis – Monte Carlo Rolex Masters 2026 – ATP, Tennis Herren – 05/04/2026 – Tennis – Monte Carlo Rolex Masters 2026 – ATP – 05/04/2026 – Carlos Alcaraz – Espagne Monaco PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxBEL Copyright: xChryslenexCaillaudx/Psnewzx
It was back in 2022, when a 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz was chasing his first Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows. And then came the moment: his final serve, left untouched by Casper Ruud. Alcaraz dropped to the ground, hands over his face, almost in disbelief. He knew it. In that instant, he hadn’t just won a title, he had made history, becoming the youngest World No. 1 in ATP Rankings history.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Ever since that moment, Carlos Alcaraz has been chasing one thing: staying on top. And when Jannik Sinner stepped up to challenge him, fans quickly found their new Big-2. Since then, it’s been a constant tug-of-war between the two for the No. 1 spot.
Last year, when Alcaraz reclaimed the top ranking at the US Open, it felt like everything had come full circle. But now, the story seems to be shifting again, with that No. 1 crown slowly slipping from his grasp.
Top Stories
Carlos Alcaraz has started his title defense with a win over clay-court specialist Sebastian Baez in the R32 of the Monte-Carlo Masters. The Spaniard won the match comfortably in straight sets. This was an important win for the top seed, as it sets the tone for the rest of the clay swing after a troubled Sunshine Double.
After getting his 16-match winning streak broken in Indian Wells by Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals, followed by an early exit at the Miami Open, many doubted him losing the coveted world No. 1 position. With world No. 2 Jannik Sinner winning the Sunshine Double, it makes it even harder for the seven-time Grand Slam champion to retain his top spot. Just like everyone else, even Alcaraz has his doubts.
“To be honest, I’m gonna lose the No. 1 of the world. I don’t know if it’s going to be in this tournament or the next one. I’m defending a bunch of points that it’s going to be really difficult to defend all. Even if I defend them, Jannik is going to add some points in these tournaments that he doesn’t have to defend any points in these tournaments,” the Spaniard stated in the on-court interview after the match.
The race to the top is extremely tight between the two players. The Italian is just trailing by 1190 points to the 22-year-old, which can be easily overtaken during the course of the clay season.
“So I will try to play my best, and let’s see what happens. But obviously, of course, for me, the No. 1 is not in my mind right now, I’m just trying to feel the best way or as good as I can on a clay court, and let’s see how it’s going to be, the clay swing.” Alcaraz added.
🗣️🇪🇸 “JE VAIS PERDRE LA PLACE DE N°1 QUOI QU’IL ARRIVE”
Carlos Alcaraz après son premier match à Monte-Carlo : « Pour être honnête, je vais perdre la place de n°1 mondial. Je ne sais pas si ce sera lors de ce tournoi ou du prochain.
Je dois défendre beaucoup de points, et ce… pic.twitter.com/v8SNNppOAr
— Univers Tennis 🎾 (@UniversTennis) April 7, 2026
Sinner has also advanced to the R16 with a comprehensive straight-set win against home favorite Ugo Humbert. He will be potentially facing the 16th seed, Francisco Cerundolo, in the third round of the Monte-Carlo masters.
Can we get the first Alcaraz-Sinner battle of the year at the Monte-Carlo finals, which will be their astonishing 9th tour final?
Written by
Edited by
Purva Jain