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

Carlos Alcaraz has acknowledged that his position as world No 1 is under threat from Jannik Sinner at the Monte-Carlo Masters. Sinner, who recently won the 'Sunshine Double', made a strong start to the tournament with a convincing 6-3 6-0 victory over Ugo Humbert, extending his winning streak to 18 matches and 36 consecutive sets at Masters 1000 level. Alcaraz, meanwhile, secured a 6-1 6-3 win against Sebastian Baez, equalling his longest clay-court winning streak. The Spaniard admitted that he is aware of the challenge posed by Sinner and is focused on performing his best rather than worrying about his ranking. 'I'm going to lose the number one spot at some point,' Alcaraz said. 'I don't know if it's going to be at this tournament or another one. I will just try to play my best and see what happens.' Sinner's impressive start to the tournament has set up a potentially thrilling competition, with the Italian aiming to claim his first Masters 1000 title on clay. Meanwhile, British No 1 Cameron Norrie suffered a second-round exit at the hands of fifth seed Alex De Minaur, losing 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 6-2.