Sinner Gains Ground on Alcaraz in Battle for Top Ranking at Monte-Carlo Masters

"My hold on the number one spot is under threat" - Carlos Alcaraz acknowledges that his position at the top is in jeopardy this week 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 straight set at Masters 1000 level, following an impressive opening victory. Having achieved the 'Sunshine Double' of Indian Wells and Miami Open without dropping a set, the 24-year-old carried his momentum onto clay with a confident 6-3 6-0 win over Ugo Humbert in just 61 minutes. Sinner is now second in the rankings with 2900 points, behind Alcaraz with 2950 points, and ahead of Daniil Medvedev with 1700 points. He continued his pursuit of a first Masters 1000 crown on clay in fine style, dispatching Humbert with ease, a performance that would have impressed Olympic sprint star Usain Bolt, who was watching from the stands. "It was a solid performance from me," Sinner said. "You need to adapt your game style and approach to certain situations on clay. The first tournament on clay is never easy, but I came here with positive feelings and not too many expectations." Alcaraz, meanwhile, took just 69 minutes to seal a 6-1 6-3 opening-round win against Sebastian Baez, marking his 14th consecutive win on clay and equalling his longest win streak on the surface. "It's been a great start to the tournament for me," said Alcaraz. "To be honest, I exceeded my own expectations with my level of play. Maybe there were a couple of things I didn't do well in the second set, but overall, I'm happy to be playing matches on clay again. This week in Monte-Carlo, Alcaraz is also aware that Sinner has the chance to replace him as world No 1 next Monday. "I will eventually lose my number one spot, whether it's at this tournament or another one," said Alcaraz. "I'm defending a lot of points that will be tough to hold onto, and even if I do, Jannik will likely add some points. My focus is on playing my best and seeing what happens, but the number one spot isn't on my mind right now. I'm just trying to find my rhythm on clay courts and take it from there." Alcaraz expressed surprise that Sinner decided to play, given his recent 'Sunshine Double' win. "If he chose to come here, it means he's feeling good physically and mentally, and he's excited to play, but I was surprised because he's had a lot of matches in the last month, and not much time to rest and prepare for clay. He's also playing doubles, but he adapted really well to the surface in a short period of time, which is a testament to his skill as a player." British No 1 Cameron Norrie suffered a second-round exit after a three-set defeat to fifth seed Alex De Minaur. Norrie dropped a tight opening set on a tie-break but won five games in a row to force a decider. However, De Minaur broke serve twice at the start of the final set before progressing 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 6-2.