Sinner Regains Top Spot in ATP Rankings with Monte Carlo Victory

Jannik Sinner has reclaimed the world's number one spot after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte-Carlo Masters final, winning in straight sets. Sinner navigated the challenging conditions in Monaco more effectively than Alcaraz, securing a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 victory and taking the top position in the ATP rankings from Alcaraz for the first time since November 2025. Although the match did not reach the same level of excitement as some of their previous encounters, it was filled with twists as Sinner overcame a second-set deficit. This victory marks Sinner's first win over Alcaraz on clay since 2022 and extends his impressive 22-match unbeaten streak at Masters tournaments. Sinner expressed his delight, stating, 'The result is amazing. Returning to No 1 means a lot to me.' He also joined Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win four consecutive ATP 1000 titles. Alcaraz praised Sinner, saying, 'It's impressive what you are achieving right now. To win the Sunshine Double and Monte-Carlo, it's incredible. Congratulations for the work you're doing with your team.' The 17th meeting between the two tennis superstars will not be remembered as a classic due to the windy and overcast conditions. Alcaraz initially broke Sinner but was unable to maintain his lead, as Sinner equalized at 2-2. The first set remained closely contested, with neither player able to break the other despite several break point opportunities. Sinner ultimately won the set in a tie-break after 74 minutes. In the second set, Alcaraz broke Sinner early but struggled to hold his serve, allowing Sinner to capitalize on his errors and get back to 3-3. Sinner then won the next three games, taking advantage of Alcaraz's frustration and variability in his play to secure his first Monte-Carlo Masters title. The two players will now decide whether to compete again in Barcelona, where Britain's Jack Draper will also be in action, before the ATP 1000 events in Madrid and Rome lead up to the French Open in May. In other news, Mirra Andreeva won the Linz Open on Sunday, defeating Anastasia Potapova 1-6 6-4 6-3. Andreeva came back from a set down to claim her second WTA title and fourth of her career. 'I was struggling a lot on how to find a solution to play against you today. You're an amazing fighter and an even better person,' Andreeva said to Potapova during the presentation ceremony. Potapova, who switched allegiance to Austria in December, expressed her gratitude for the support she received from the crowd, stating, 'All the support I was getting this week from the crowd, I never had it in my life. I am really thankful.' The ATP and WTA Tours can be watched live on Sky Sports or streamed with NOW and the Sky Sports app, providing Sky Sports customers with access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost.