Jannik Sinner’s Monte Carlo masterclass sends early clay-season warning
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Italy's world No. 1 Jannik Sinner celebrating with the trophy after beating Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 to win his first Monte Carlo Masters title on April 12.
PHOTO: REUTERS
MONTE CARLO – Meticulous preparation was again at the heart of Jannik Sinner’s breakthrough Monte Carlo Masters triumph, as his win over Carlos Alcaraz in the April 12 final took him back to the top of the world rankings and laid down a marker for the rest of the clay season.
After completing the “Sunshine Double” of hard-court titles at Indian Wells and Miami, Sinner was widely expected to skip Monte Carlo to recharge his batteries but the 24-year-old Italian was keen to build momentum.
His 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 victory over Alcaraz earned him his first big title on the sport’s slowest surface and made him the only player after Novak Djokovic in 2015 to claim the first three Masters titles of a season.
“It’s not easy at all. I'm surprised in a very good way,” he told reporters.
While Sinner arrived early at Indian Wells in March to prepare his body for the heat of the Californian desert, his focus ahead of Monte Carlo was more tactical, centred on refining shot selection and adapting to each opponent.
“Every day I wake up and I try to improve and get better as a player,” he explained.
“Here, we did it day by day, trying to understand what the best style is against every opponent, because I haven’t played the same kind of tennis against everyone.
“It means a lot to me and I’ll need a bit of time to realise what happened. It’s going to be good having some days off now away from the courts.
“Everything was quite hectic, one tournament to the other, so we’ll see what’s coming next.”
He is expected to return to action in Madrid later in April or in Rome at the beginning of May. His coach, Simone Vagnozzi, said the Monte Carlo week provided clear evidence of the Italian’s progress on clay.
“We’re really happy because after the first two matches, he started to feel better, more drop shots, more variation with the height of the ball and with the serve,” Vagnozzi said. “We’re really impressed with his level.”
The Monte Carlo title will give Sinner a psychological boost with the French Open just around the corner.
It marked his fourth consecutive Masters 1000 crown following triumphs in Paris, Indian Wells and Miami, and his eighth Masters title overall.
The previous time the pair met was nearly five months earlier, when Sinner beat Alcaraz in the ATP Finals title decider in Turin, and fans had been eagerly looking forward to the next chapter of the “Sincaraz” rivalry.
They delivered, with Sinner saying in his on-court interview: “Today was a very high level from both of us.”
Alcaraz, who beat his rival in the 2025 Roland Garros final over five sets, is fully aware how much Sinner has improved on clay.
“We’ve seen Jannik’s level on clay and I think he’s been improving a lot year by year,” said the Spaniard.
“He’s reaching a level on clay that’s going to be really dangerous for everybody.”
The French Open main draw begins on May 24. REUTERS
