Sinner Regains Top Spot in World Rankings After Monte Carlo Victory

Jannik Sinner has reclaimed the number one spot in the world rankings after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets at the Monte-Carlo Masters final. Sinner navigated the challenging windy conditions in Monaco more effectively than his opponent, securing a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win and reclaiming the top position in the ATP rankings from Alcaraz for the first time since November 2025. Although the match did not reach the exceptional heights of their previous encounters, it was marked by several twists as Sinner overcame a deficit in the second set. This victory marks Sinner's first win over Alcaraz on clay since 2022 and extends his impressive 22-match unbeaten streak at Masters tournaments, the level just below Grand Slams. Sinner joins Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as the only men to have won four consecutive ATP 1000 titles. "The outcome is amazing, and returning to the number one spot means a great deal to me," Sinner said. "However, the ranking is secondary; I'm thrilled to have won a major trophy on this surface, something I've never achieved before." Alcaraz praised Sinner, saying, "It's impressive what you're accomplishing right now. Winning the Sunshine Double and Monte-Carlo is incredible. Congratulations on the work you and your team are doing." The 17th meeting between tennis' current superstars will not be remembered as a classic due to both players struggling with the windy and overcast conditions. Alcaraz started strong, breaking Sinner immediately, but Sinner equalized at 2-2. Neither player could raise their level to break the other in the remainder of the close first set, despite Sinner having break point opportunities in the fifth and ninth games. At 6-5 up, Alcaraz was two points away from winning the set, but Sinner's big serving got him out of trouble, and he made the crucial first break in the tie-break. After squandering his first set point opportunity, a double fault from Alcaraz handed the opening set to Sinner after 74 minutes. It seemed like Alcaraz would mount a comeback when he broke early in the second set, but the Australian Open champion struggled to hold serve, and Sinner capitalized on several errors from Alcaraz to get back to 3-3. Sinner went on to win the next three games as well, as Alcaraz became frustrated and Sinner finally gained the upper hand in the variability of his opponent's play to secure his first Monte-Carlo Masters title. Alcaraz and Sinner will now decide whether to face each other again this week in Barcelona, where Britain's Jack Draper will also be in action, before ATP 1000 events in Madrid and Rome lead up to the French Open at the end of May. Mirra Andreeva won the Linz Open on Sunday with a 1-6 6-4 6-3 victory over Anastasia Potapova. The Russian had to rally from a set down to claim her second WTA title and fourth of her career. Andreeva praised Potapova, saying, "I was struggling to find a solution to play against you today. You're an amazing fighter and an even better person." In December, the 25-year-old Potapova switched allegiance to Austria. She said, "Playing here for the first time as an Austrian means the world to me. The support I received from the crowd this week, I've never had it before. 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 percent more live sports this year at no extra cost.