Jannik Sinner says ‘Not one competition will define the War 1 ‘with Carlos Alcaraz | ATP Tour | Tennis

Jannik the Sinner

Moetsalibe says ‘It is not one competition that will define No. 1 battle with Alcaraz

The Italian has the chance to reclaim the World No. 1 from Alcaraz in Monte-Carlo

April 04, 2026

Jannik Sinner has the chance to reclaim the World No. 1 spot from Carlos Alcaraz at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters this weekend, with the Italian firmly in control of his destiny after a long layoff in March.

After his quarter-final loss to Jakub Mensik in Doha, Sinner arrived in Indian Wells early and quickly adapted to the hot conditions, going on to complete the ‘Sunshine Double’ without dropping a set. Before the first clay tournament Masters 1000 of the season in Monaco, World 2 was asked if the arrangement will translate to the new area.

“We’ve done a lot of work at Indian Wells, and it’s obviously a work in progress,” Sinner said. “It’s a different surface, we all know it’s more physical than clay, but last year I played good tennis on water, so let’s see what’s coming this year.

“I feel like it helped me a lot in Indian Wells to be in the heat for a long time. [2025] US Open in that case, but some questions will be answered on this because the matches can take a long time. I like to play with clay. It’s not my favorite place, but I believe I can play good tennis too. ”

After falling to rival Alcaraz in last year’s US Open final, Moetsalibe vacated the No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the Spaniard. However, by becoming only the eighth man in history to complete the ‘Sunshine Double’ with his run through Indian Wells and Miami, the Italian has positioned himself to return to the top at the end of the Monte-Carlo event.

The equation is simple: win the title, and the Sinner is guaranteed to return to No. 1 despite Alcaraz’s result in the Principality. Moetsalibe is a two-time semi-finalist in Monaco, while Alcaraz arrives as the defending champion after lifting the trophy last year.

Although Moetsalibe knows about concessions, he is always focused on the bigger picture, knowing that the movement of the clay gives more opportunities to apply pressure to Alcaraz, who went 22-1 over the last season, according to the Infosys ATP Win / Loss Index.

“I know the position, the position and the position, but it’s not one tournament that’s going to define who’s No. 1 or No. 2,” Sinner said. “It’s a competition I love to play and I’m happy to be here. I’ll try to win as many games as possible but at the same time, there are a lot of competitions to come.

“When you’re a good player, you’re out to win. Points don’t matter, in a way. [PIF ATP Live] Race to Turin, because there you can see how one plays in the spring. ”

Read more from Monte-Carlo
Sinner & Alcaraz’s Monte-Carlo win: What surprising opponents could they face in R2?
Scouting report: Alcaraz, Moetsalibe, Zverev eye for success on clay
How a Sinner Can Become World No. 1 in Monte-Carlo
2026 Monte-Carlo tennis prize money

Only 50 points separate first-ranked Alcaraz and second-ranked Moetsalibe in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, highlighting how the battle for ATP Year-End No. 22-year-old Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete a Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January, before Sinner made a stunning reply throughout the ‘Sunshine Double’ tournament.

In his first appearance on clay since winning three championship points against Alcaraz at Roland Garros last June, Sinner will open his Monte-Carlo campaign against 17-year-old wild card Moise Kouame or Ugo Humbert. The Clay-court Masters 1000 event runs from 5-12 April.