Sinner Regains Top Spot with Monte Carlo Victory Over Alcaraz

Following his triumph over Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte-Carlo Masters final, Jannik Sinner has reclaimed the world's number one spot. Sinner outperformed Alcaraz in the gusty conditions in Monaco, winning 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 to claim the top position in the ATP rankings for the first time since November 2025. Although the match did not reach the same heights as some of the pair's previous encounters, it was filled with twists and turns as Sinner overcame a second-set deficit. He will now aim to maintain his position at the top of the rankings ahead of the French Open next month. This victory marks Sinner's first win over Alcaraz on clay since 2022 and extends his impressive 22-match unbeaten streak at Masters tournaments, which are the level below Grand Slams. "The outcome is fantastic, and returning to number one means a great deal to me," Sinner stated, joining Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as the only men to have won four consecutive ATP 1000 titles. "At the same time, the ranking is of secondary importance. I am thrilled to have won a major trophy on this surface, which is a first for me, and it holds significant value." Alcaraz congratulated Sinner, saying, "What you are accomplishing right now is impressive. Winning the Sunshine Double and Monte-Carlo is incredible. Congratulations on the work you and your team are doing." The 17th professional meeting between the two current tennis superstars will not be remembered as a classic, as both players struggled in the windy and overcast conditions. Alcaraz made a strong start by breaking Sinner immediately, but Sinner equalized at 2-2. Neither player was able to break each other for the remainder of the close first set, despite Sinner having break point opportunities in the fifth and ninth games. When Alcaraz was up 6-5, he came within two points of winning the set, but Sinner's powerful serving helped him escape trouble, and he made the crucial first break in the tie-break. After squandering his first set point, a double fault from Alcaraz handed the opening set to Sinner after 74 minutes. It seemed like Alcaraz was going to stage a comeback when he broke early in the second set. However, the Australian Open champion was struggling 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 the 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 come back from a set down to claim her second WTA title and fourth of her career. "I was struggling to find a solution to play against you today. You're an amazing fighter and an even better person," Andreeva told Potapova during the presentation ceremony. In December, the 25-year-old Potapova switched allegiance to Austria. She said, "Playing here for the first time as an Austrian, it means the world to me. "All the support I received this week from the crowd, I never had it in my life. I am really thankful." Watch the ATP and WTA Tours live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 percent more live sports this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.