Sinner beats Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (5), 6-3 on April 12 to win the Monte Carlo Masters and move back to world No. 1. (atptour.com) The final lasted 2 hours, 15 minutes on Court Rainier III in Monaco, and Sinner closed it in straight sets in windy conditions. It was his first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 title and his eighth Masters 1000 title overall. (atptour.com) Sinner took the first set in a tie-break after Alcaraz double-faulted on set point, then came back from 1-3 in the second set as Alcaraz finished with 45 unforced errors. The official Sunday results listed Sinner as the No. 2 seed and Alcaraz as the No. 1 seed. (atptour.com 1) (atptour.com 2) The win gave Sinner the first Monte Carlo title of his career and ended Alcaraz’s run as defending champion from 2025. The ATP Tour said Sinner would return to the top spot in the rankings on Monday, April 13. (montecarlotennismasters.com) (atptour.com) Monte Carlo is the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the European clay season, so the result lands three weeks before the Madrid Open and seven weeks before the French Open begins in Paris on May 24. Sinner’s win also avenged his loss to Alcaraz in the 2025 Roland Garros final, their last meeting on clay before Sunday. (montecarlotennismasters.com) (atptour.com) The ATP Tour said Sinner became the second man after Novak Djokovic in 2015 to win the first three Masters 1000 tournaments of a season, after titles in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo. Monte Carlo organizers also said he arrived on clay after completing the “Sunshine Double” on hard courts in the United States. (atptour.com) (montecarlotennismasters.com) The ATP Tour also said Sinner joined Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as the only men to win four straight Masters 1000 titles, counting Paris in late 2025 and the first three Masters stops of 2026. Alcaraz told Sinner at the trophy ceremony, “Just one man had won the ‘Sunshine Double’ and Monte-Carlo and you are now the second.” (atptour.com) The updated ATP rankings dated April 13 list Sinner back at No. 1, with Alcaraz at No. 2. Monte Carlo opened the clay swing with another Sinner-Alcaraz final, and Sinner left it holding both the trophy and the top ranking. (atptour.com)