Carlos Alcaraz completes the Vacherot race, sets a shootout with Jannik Sinner at the end of Monte-Carlo | ATP Tour | Tennis

Game Report

Alcaraz completes Vacherot’s run, setting the No. 1 shooting match. 1 and Sinner in the Monte-Carlo game

The pair will meet for the first time in 2026 on Sunday in Monaco

April 11, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz completed Valentin Vacherot’s legendary Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters run in a typical semi-final showdown on Saturday afternoon. In doing so, the No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings set a blockbuster finish against his biggest rival, Jannik Sinner.

The 22-year-old Alcaraz beat Vacherot 6-4, 6-4 on Court Rainier III to keep alive his hopes of successfully defending his title at the ATP Masters 1000 clay event. The Spaniard withstood a dominant, hard-hitting game from Vacherot, whose raucous crowd cheered him on, converting three of his four points en route to victory. his of 84 minutes, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Carlitos comes in 💪

Carlos Alcaraz defeats his favorite Vacherot 6-4, 6-4 to reach the Monte-Carlo final. #rolexmontecarlomasters pic.twitter.com/t96t2oxLtt

– ATP Tour (@atptour) April 11, 2026

With Moetsalibe having won 6-1, 6-4 against Alexander Zverev on the first day of the semi-finals, fans in Monte-Carlo and around the world can look forward to the first meeting between Alcaraz and Moetsalibe in 2026. Alcaraz will enter the final on Sunday, scheduled for 3 pm local time (CEST’s TP’s lead Axus2Head) series.

There will be double prizes awarded to the winner of the Alcaraz and Sinner’s Monte-Carlo awards. In addition to taking the trophy to open the Clay Masters 1000 of the year, whoever wins will be the World No. 1 on Monday. Moetsalibe is trying to end the reign of Alcaraz, who this week tied the Italian for many weeks spent as No. 1 (66).

“I think it’s a dream place for everyone I can say. I’m fighting for my second Monte-Carlo title, he’s fighting for his first,” said Alcaraz of Sunday’s match, which will be the pair’s first meeting since the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals. “It will be very special. No. 1 is on the line, which will make tomorrow even more special.”

Alcaraz was also quick to repay Vacherot, who was the first Monegasque to reach the Monte-Carlo quarterfinals and semi-finals in the Open Era. The 27-year-old, who made headlines last October by winning the Rolex Shanghai Masters as World No. 204 to become the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 champion in the history of the series (since 1990), once again found the first break in the second set but in the end was unable to stop Alcaraz’s charge of victory. Despite the loss, Vacherot on Monday will raise six fields to the world’s 17th career ranking.

“For me, I’m happy to win this very difficult match against Valentin,” said Alcaraz, who came from behind to win the semi-final in Indian Wells and advance to Miami to reach his third final of the year. He is playing good tennis with great confidence now, playing in his hometown. It was difficult to win, but I am very happy with my first meeting with Jannik in 2026.”

In his first tour meeting with Vacherot, Alcaraz took control early with a service break for the Monegasque in the third game. That was the only break of the opening set and Alcaraz appeared determined to take the win in straight sets after being broken in the third game of the second.

Vacherot held on to serve and used his increasingly powerful forehand to break immediately for 2-2. Although Alcaraz did not move, despite the failure of the video test at the time that could be important at 4-4, 30/15 to see if Vacherot had hit the ball on the ground before the net, the Spaniard kept his composure to improve to 21-2 for the season.