Carlos Alcaraz has constantly been in action in 2026 so far. He has participated in four tournaments this year, and his schedule will only be getting tighter from here. He is set to begin his clay-court season with the Monte Carlo Masters, where he is the defending champion. He also plans to play the Barcelona Open next week before participating in the Madrid Masters that will commence on April 22. However, the Spaniard is worried that this run of tournaments can be “too demanding” for his body.

Sharing his take on the tough schedule ahead, Alcaraz remarked, “That’s my idea. Obviously, the clay season is really… “It’s too demanding, physically and mentally.”

While it was expected that Alcaraz would not participate in the Barcelona Open as it falls between two Masters 1000 tournaments, he highlighted that the ATP 500 event is very important for him. Being one of his home events, the 22-year-old is eager to participate in the competition.

“Obviously I would say the week of Barcelona should be the week that I have to take off. But Barcelona is a really important tournament for me. I have a special feeling that I just used to play there when I was under 14.”

“A lot of friends there, playing at home, it’s always great. So let’s see how it’s going to be, both physically and mentally. My plan is to take care of my body as much as possible during matches and tournaments.”

Notably, this is a stretch where Alcaraz has been forced to take breaks in the past. He hadn’t been able to participate in the Madrid Open last year because of an adductor injury. Moreover, he had played just one event on clay before the 2024 French Open due to an injury in his right shoulder.

Though Alcaraz knows that the upcoming run of tournaments will be very tiring, he is still happy to compete on clay, as it is a surface where he has enjoyed monumental success. He has won 11 singles titles on clay so far in his career and will be aiming to increase his tally this year.

“I miss clay every time that the clay season is over. I just miss it. The first few practices were about getting back into the swing of things. I just said to my team, ‘It’s time to get my socks dirty again.’ It feels amazing to be back on clay.”

The Monte Carlo Masters will be quite an important tournament for Alcaraz, as his No. 1 spot on the ATP rankings is under threat. His failures at the ‘Sunshine Double’ helped Jannik Sinner capitalize and close the gap at the top. After triumphing at both the Indian Wells and Miami Open, the Italian will be brimming with confidence heading into the clay swing.

Alcaraz is leading the rankings as of now with 13,590 points under his name, while Sinner is right behind him with 12,400 points. However, the defending champion will be dropping 1000 points at the start of the tournament, cutting down the gap to just 190 points. Alcaraz needs to get a better result than Sinner in Monaco to maintain his position at the top.

If Sinner loses in the quarterfinals and Alcaraz in the Round of 16, the Italian will be number one again. Despite the stakes being extremely high, the Spaniard’s coaches do not appear to be too concerned.

Carlos Alcaraz’s coach, Samuel Lopez, isn’t worried about the rankings

Samuel Lopez, who has been a part of Alcaraz’s coaching team for a year, believes there’s no need to give too much importance to the rankings. He would rather have the 22-year-old focus on his growth.

“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.

Alcaraz’s coaching team has also come up with a thorough plan for the clay-court season so that he can manage the large volume of competitions lying ahead of him.

“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, for 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.

Being the No. 1 seed at the Monte Carlo Open, Alcaraz received a bye into the second round. He will begin his title defense with a clash against Sebastian Baez on April 7.

Will Alcaraz be able to clinch back-to-back titles in Monaco, or will he end up losing his No. 1 spot on the ATP rankings during the tournament? Let us know what you think in the comments!