Sinner Heats Up World No 1 Race as Alcaraz Faces Pressure at Monte-Carlo Masters

"I'm at risk of losing my number one spot" - Carlos Alcaraz acknowledges that his position at the top is under threat at the Monte-Carlo Masters, with Jannik Sinner closing in. Sinner made a strong return to European clay, winning his 18th consecutive match and 36th successive set at Masters 1000 level with a convincing victory. Having achieved the 'Sunshine Double' without dropping a set, the 24-year-old carried his momentum to clay with a 6-3 6-0 win over Ugo Humbert in 61 minutes. Sinner is now pursuing his first Masters 1000 crown on clay, impressing with the speed of his win, which would have likely caught the attention of Olympic sprint star Usain Bolt, who was watching from the stands. "It was a good performance from my side," Sinner said. "You have to adjust your game style and approach to certain situations. The first tournament on clay is never easy, but I came here with good feelings and not many expectations." Alcaraz sealed a 6-1 6-3 opening-round win against Sebastian Baez in 69 minutes, equalling his longest win streak on clay. "It's been a really good start to the tournament for me," Alcaraz said. "To be honest, I surprised myself with my level. I thought I would play a little worse, but I'm happy with everything I've done today." This week, Alcaraz is aware that Sinner has the chance to replace him as world No 1. "I'm going to lose the No 1 spot at some point. I don't know if it's at this tournament or another one," Alcaraz said. "I'm defending a lot of points that will be difficult to defend, and even if I do, Jannik will add points. I'll just try to play my best and see what happens." Alcaraz was 'surprised' that Sinner decided to play, given his recent 'Sunshine Double' win. "If he decided to come here, that means he feels good physically and mentally, and he's excited to play," Alcaraz said. British No 1 Cameron Norrie suffered a second-round exit after a three-set defeat to fifth seed Alex De Minaur. Norrie won five games in a row to force a decider but was broken twice at the start of the final set, with De Minaur progressing 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 6-2.