Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz start fast on Monte Carlo clay in race for No. 1 spot

Monte Carlo – Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz continued their duel for the world No. 1 ranking before the French Open as they opened their clay-court seasons by crushing their opponents into the red Monte Carlo dirt on April 7.

With Usain Bolt in the crowd, the world’s top two sprinted to second-round victories at the Masters event.

World No. 2 Sinner took 1hr 4min to dispatch Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-0. He was followed onto centre court by top-ranked Alcaraz, who took five minutes longer to beat Argentina’s Sebastian Baez 6-1, 6-3.

Sinner is chasing a first significant clay-court title – his sole title on clay came against Alcaraz at the 2022 Croatia Open, an ATP 250 tournament – and seeking to dethrone the defending Monte Carlo champion as world No. 1, although the Spaniard said after his match that it was inevitable the 24-year-old Italian would take top spot in the next few weeks.

Sinner came into the season’s first clay-court event following his impressive “Sunshine Double” in March at the Indian Wells and Miami Masters 1000 tournaments, winning the two titles without dropping a set.

His victory on April 7 ran his winning streak in 1000-level events to 18 matches.

“It was a good performance from my side,” Sinner said, adding the first clay event “is never easy”.

“You have to change your game style a little bit, how you approach certain situations,” he said.

“I come here with good feelings but, at the same time, not many expectations.”

Alcaraz had no such reservations.

“It’s been almost one year, the last match I played on clay,” he said. “To be honest, I missed it. I missed getting myself dirty a little bit.”

Last season, Alcaraz entered four clay-court events, winning three – including Monte Carlo – and losing the final in Barcelona.

Sinner missed the start of the 2025 clay season as he finished serving a ban but returned to reach the final in Rome, where he fell to Alcaraz, and at Roland Garros, where he led the Spaniard by two sets and had three championship points before losing a five-set, five-hour marathon.

Ranking points are wiped out after a year, but as Sinner has none to lose in Monte Carlo, Alcaraz said the Italian’s return to the top is inevitable.

“I’m going to lose the No. 1 in the world,” said Alcaraz after his win. “I don’t know if it’s going to be in this tournament or the next one.

“It is going to be really difficult to defend all the points and even if I do, Jannik is going to add some points in this tournament. No. 1 is not on my mind but to be my best on clay and let’s see how the clay-court season is going to be.”

Sinner took a few games to find his rhythm against France’s Humbert, whom he had faced only twice – the last time in 2021 – but broke serve in the fifth game before holding to love and taking a 4-2 lead.

Humbert saved a double break point but eventually lost his serve again and the first set 6-3.

The second set was a one-way affair. The Italian did not concede a single game to the Frenchman, sweeping him aside 6-0 in 23 minutes.

Sinner will face either Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo or Czech Tomas Machac in the next round.

Alcaraz raced through the first set but stuttered in the second before winning the last seven points to surge to victory.

“A really good start to the tournament for me,” he said. “I surprised myself with the level. I thought I was going to play a little bit worse.”

Alcaraz will play either another Argentinian, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, or France’s Terence Atmane. AFP