Alcaraz Faces Pressure from Sinner in Bid to Retain World No 1 Spot at Monte-Carlo Masters

"My hold on the number one spot is under threat" - Carlos Alcaraz acknowledges that his position at the top of the rankings is in jeopardy this week at the Monte-Carlo Masters, with Jannik Sinner hot on his heels. Sinner made a strong return to European clay, extending his winning streak to 18 matches and 36 consecutive sets at Masters 1000 level with a convincing opening victory. Following his historic 'Sunshine Double' wins at Indian Wells and Miami Open without dropping a set, the 24-year-old carried his momentum onto clay with a dominant 6-3 6-0 win over Ugo Humbert in just 61 minutes. The current rankings stand at: 1. Carlos Alcaraz - 2950, 2. Jannik Sinner - 2900, and 3. Daniil Medvedev - 1700. Sinner's pursuit of his first Masters 1000 title on clay continued in impressive fashion, with the speed of his victory over Humbert likely to have impressed even the legendary sprinter Usain Bolt, who was in attendance. "It was a solid performance from me," Sinner noted. "Adapting to clay requires some adjustments in your game style and approach to certain situations. "The first clay tournament is never easy, but I've come here feeling positive, albeit with limited expectations." Alcaraz secured a 6-1 6-3 opening-round win against Sebastian Baez in just 69 minutes, marking his 14th consecutive victory on clay and equalling his longest winning streak on the surface, set in 2022. "I've had a great start to the tournament," Alcaraz said. "Honestly, I'm surprised by my level of play. I thought I'd struggle a bit more, but I'm happy with how things have gone so far. "There were a few areas for improvement in the second set, where I allowed my opponent to get back into the match, but overall, I'm just happy to be playing on clay again." This week, Alcaraz is competing with the knowledge that Sinner could potentially dethrone him as world No 1 by next Monday. "I will eventually lose my No 1 spot - it's just a matter of time," Alcaraz admitted. "I'm defending a significant number of points, which will be tough to hold onto. Even if I manage to defend them, Sinner will likely gain points. "My focus is on playing my best tennis and seeing how things unfold. The No 1 spot isn't my primary concern right now; I'm focused on finding my rhythm on clay and taking it from there." Alcaraz expressed surprise that Sinner chose to participate, given his recent 'Sunshine Double' win. "If he decided to play, it means he's feeling physically and mentally strong, and he's excited to be here," Alcaraz said. "However, I was surprised because he's had a lot of matches in the last month, with limited time to rest and prepare for clay. He's also playing doubles, which is impressive." British No 1 Cameron Norrie suffered a second-round exit after a three-set defeat to fifth seed Alex De Minaur. After a closely contested opening set, which De Minaur won in a tie-break, Norrie won five consecutive games to force a deciding set. However, the Australian broke Norrie's serve twice at the start of the final set, ultimately winning 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 6-2.