Even without meeting on court this season, the rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner has only intensified. Both have claimed two titles in 2026 and continue to set the pace for the rest of the field. Alcaraz has held the No. 1 ranking since November 2025, but Sinner’s brilliant Sunshine Double has closed the gap to within striking distance. Does this concern Alcaraz’s camp heading into clay season?

Samuel Lopez, who has been part of Alcaraz’s coaching team for a year, believes there’s no need to dwell on rankings, calling them “no big deal.” Instead, he wants the 22-year-old to stay focused on his development.

“It’s not a big deal. It’s already happened to him. Being number 1 or number 4 doesn’t change much: what matters is continuing to grow and being ready for the important moments. The ranking is the result of consistency throughout the season, it’s a long race and whoever ends up at No. 1 will deserve it. There’s no need to give it more importance than it deserves,” Lopez said, speaking to Eurosport Spain.

Carlos Alcaraz had begun 2026 on a very strong note. Following his triumphs at both the Australian and Qatar Open, he was expected to lead the rankings for the majority of the year. However, his semifinal and Round of 32 exits at the Indian Wells and Miami Open allowed Jannik Sinner to close the gap.

The Italian went on to win both tournaments, making up significant ground in the rankings. It was Alcaraz’s early elimination against Sebastian Korda in Miami that made a major difference. He was only able to gain 40 points from the competition, while his rival took home another 1000 points with his triumph.

The two will next play at the Monte Carlo Masters, which runs from April 5 to 12. Alcaraz currently leads the ATP rankings with 13,590 points under his name, while Sinner is right behind him at second with 12,400 points. With the Spaniard set to enter the tournament as the defending champion, he will drop 1,000 points at the start.

The equation is very simple: Alcaraz will have to get a better result than Sinner in Monaco to maintain his position as the World No. 1. For context, if Sinner gets knocked out in the quarterfinals and Alcaraz bows out in the Round of 16, then the Italian will take over. With the margin of error being extremely small, the stakes couldn’t be any higher.

Following his struggles at the Sunshine Double, the Spaniard will be aiming to make a strong start to the clay-court season. With the season being a very important part of the calendar, Alcaraz and his coaching team have decided to come up with a thorough plan.

Samuel Lopez confirms Carlos Alcaraz’s clay-court plans

With Alcaraz having a stacked schedule in front of him that includes home events in Barcelona and Madrid, Lopez explained how he will have to manage the large volume of competitions.

“Okay, so initially we’re going in with the mindset of playing everything, of playing the whole tour, you know? I mean, in the end, the Masters 1000s, let’s say that physically they’re not as intense, physically they’re not as intense as when Rafa was playing, when he played every day,” Lopez said.

“Mentally, though, they can be even a bit more so because you don’t really switch off during the 10 days of competition, as long as you last. But, well, we’re going to try to manage it as best we can, you know? In between, there’s the Barcelona Open, which Carlos always has a special motivation to go there. This year, last year I couldn’t go to Madrid, but of course, he has a special motivation to go to Madrid, and then there’s Rome, which he won last year, it’s the last one,” he added.

Alcaraz will arrive in Monte Carlo by April 3 and will be eager to commence his training on clay as soon as possible. Having clinched three titles on the surface last year (Monte Carlo Masters, Rome Masters, and French Open), the World No. 1 will be looking to have another strong season.

Will Carlos Alcaraz be able to maintain his place at the top of the rankings, or will Sinner take over the No. 1 spot with a dominant display in Monaco?