Jannik Sinner wins world number 1 from Carlos Alcaraz after beating his final opponent at the Monte-Carlo Masters

Jannik Sinner is back at world No. 1 after beating Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters.

Moetsalibe overcame poor Monaco conditions to outlast his opponent Alcaraz to win 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 to take the coveted spot at the top of the ATP rankings from Alcaraz for the first time since November 2025.

The match did not reach the dramatic heights produced by the two top tennis players last year but was full of twists and turns as Moetsalibe overturned a second set deficit and will be looking to retain his world No 1 ranking as he prepares for next month’s French Open.

It was the first time Moetsalibe beat Alcaraz on clay since 2022 and he also continued his incredible 22-match unbeaten run at the Masters – the lowest level at Grand Slams.

“The result is amazing. Returning to No 1 means a lot to me,” said Sinner, who joins Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win four consecutive ATP 1000 titles.

“At the same time, the position is second. I’m very happy to win at least one major championship on this surface. I’ve never done it before, so it means a lot to me.”

Alcaraz said to Moetsalibe: “It’s amazing what you are achieving now. Winning the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells and Miami Open) and Monte-Carlo, it’s amazing. I congratulate you for the work you do with your team.”

How the Sinner defeated Alcaraz

The 17th professional meeting between the two tennis greats will not be remembered as a classic as both players struggled in windy and cloudy conditions.

Alcaraz got out of the blocks by breaking the Sinner immediately but the latter got back to 2-2. Neither player was able to lift their lead in the break in the remainder of the close first set, although there were break opportunities for the Sinner in the fifth and ninth games.

At 6-5 up, Alcaraz came within two set points but a big serve from Sinner got him out of trouble and he made the first important break of the break. He squandered his first point chance but a double fault from Alcaraz gave Moetsalibe the opener after 74 minutes.

It looked like Alcaraz would bounce back when she was broken early in the second set. However, the Australian Open champion struggled to hold serve and, uncharacteristically, Sinner capitalized on a couple of unforced errors from Alcaraz to break back to 3-3.

He went on to win the next three games again when Alcaraz was upset and Sinner ended up on top of his opponent’s game difference to seal his first Monte-Carlo Masters title.

Alcaraz and Sinner will now decide whether to play again this week in Barcelona, ​​​​where Britain’s Jack Draper will be in action, before the ATP 1000 events in Madrid and Rome follow at the French Open at the end of May.

Andreeva wins the Linz Open

Mirra Andreeva won the Linz Open on Sunday with a 1-6 6-4 6-3 victory over Anastasia Potapova.

The Russian had to retire in search of her second WTA title and fourth of her career.

“I was struggling a lot with how to find a solution to play against you today. You are an amazing fighter and an even better person,” Andreeva told Potapova during the presentation ceremony.

In December, 25-year-old Potapova defected to Austria. “Playing here for the first time in Austria means the world to me,” he said.

“All the support I got this week from the crowd, I’ve never had it in my life. I’m so grateful.”

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