Jannik Sinner expressed his longing for the competitive rivalry he shares with Carlos Alcaraz. The two tennis players have competed against each other 16 times since 2021, with Alcaraz currently leading the head-to-head record 10-6. However, it has been nearly five months since their last encounter at the ATP Finals title match in November.
Both Sinner and Alcaraz are currently participating in the Monte Carlo Masters, which signals the beginning of the clay-court season for many top players in the sport. Being the top two players globally, they can only face each other in the final. Sinner commended Alcaraz, acknowledging that the Spaniard challenges him to give his best effort in every point.
Sinner shared his sentiment, stating, “Yeah, I do miss it. He’s a player who pushes me to my limits. But we both know that if we want to face each other, we both have to reach the final and the road to get there is really tough.”
At the Monte Carlo tournament, Sinner has an opportunity to reclaim the coveted World No. 1 ranking. Winning the title would secure his return to the top spot, regardless of Alcaraz’s performance. Even a semi-final finish could be sufficient for Sinner to reclaim the No. 1 position, provided Alcaraz is eliminated before the quarter-finals. If Sinner advances to the final and Alcaraz does not, he will ascend back to No. 1. Otherwise, Alcaraz will hold onto the top ranking post-tournament.
Following victories at Indian Wells and Miami, Sinner has significantly reduced the point gap between him and Alcaraz in the rankings to just 190 points. Notably, the Italian has no previous points to defend at the Monte Carlo Masters, having skipped the event last season. In contrast, Alcaraz faces pressure as the defending champion, needing to protect his 1,000 ranking points in Monte Carlo.