Jannik Sinner captured his first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 trophy on Sunday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, overcoming great rival Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(5), 6-3 in windy conditions.
Sinner rallied from 3-1 down in the second set amid the blustery conditions at the Monte Carlo Country Club, serving out the match and clinching it on his first match point when Alcaraz returned a forehand long. The Italian was elated after the victory, saying: “The result is amazing. Getting back to No. 1 means a lot for me.”
With his two-hour, 15-minute victory, Sinner became just the second player alongside Novak Djokovic in 2015 to win Miami and Monte Carlo back to back, and will return to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday for the first time this year, beginning his 67th week at the top and moving one clear of Alcaraz, who had held the spot for 66 weeks.
Alcaraz, who had won his last 17 matches on clay, struggled on the day with 45 unforced errors, but was generous in defeat, telling Sinner at the trophy ceremony: “It is impressive what you are achieving right now. Congratulations for everything.”
The Monte Carlo title is Sinner’s 15th career “Big Title” a combination of Grand Slams, ATP Finals, Masters 1000 trophies, and Olympic gold medals leaving him just one behind Alcaraz in that tally.
Sinner has hinted he might skip the Madrid Open to focus on his main goal of winning the French Open, where he held three championship points in an epic 2025 Roland Garros final before Alcaraz mounted a miraculous comeback though the Italian now looks primed for another title challenge on the Parisian clay.
