Scouting report: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev chase clay court success in Monte-Carlo | ATP Tour | Tennis

Scouting Report

Scouting report: Alcaraz, Sinner, Zverev chase clay court success in Monte-Carlo

A comprehensive overview of what every fan should know about the ATP Masters 1000 event

April 04, 2026

The first ATP Masters 1000 clay court event of the season begins on Sunday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, where Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner dominate the field.

Alcaraz is the defending champion, but will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing exit in Miami when he meets either Stan Wawrinka or Sebastian Baez in his opening match at the Principality. The sinner reaches new titles in Indian Wells and Miami and can return to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings this week.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch during the third Masters 1000 tournament.

1) Alcaraz defending champion: Alcaraz had never won a race in Monte-Carlo before last year, but he battled through the field to take the crown. The 22-year-old Spaniard is chasing his third title of the year after completing the Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open and winning in Doha, but he will be keen to bounce back in the final three against Sebastian Korda in Miami. The World No. 1 has been training with countryman Martin Landaluce ahead of Monte-Carlo.

2) The eyes of the sinner No. 1: The sinner can return to No. 1 Monte-Carlo. He will have to at least reach the semi-finals, while a first-team run in the Principality will guarantee him a top spot. Read more about the fight between Italian and Alcaraz here. Overall, Moetsalibe is chasing his fourth Masters 1000 crown in a row, undefeated en route to titles in Paris, Indian Wells and Miami. The 24-year-old has never won this event on clay.

3) Is Zverev building? Alexander Zverev enjoyed runs to the semi-finals at Indian Wells and Miami, but was stopped twice by Sinner last month. The German is chasing his eighth Masters 1000 title and fourth on clay, having won in Rome in 2017 and Madrid in 2018 and 2021. His best results in the Principality are semi-final appearances in 2018 and 2022.

4) Musetti and Tsitsipas have good ideas: Lorenzo Musetti reached his first Masters 1000 final in Monte-Carlo last year, a result that laid the foundations for European clay-court tennis that featured semi-final appearances at Roland Garros in Madrid and Rome. Tsitsipas is a three-time Monte-Carlo champion but has not come close to his best of late and is currently 49th in the PIF ATP Rankings. Can Monte-Carlo provide the conditions for a revival?

5) Kouame gets a wild card: 17-year-old Frenchman Moise Kouame will make his debut after receiving a wild card. Kouame won his first Masters 1000 victory in Miami and will open against Ugo Humbert in Monte-Carlo. The #NextGenATP star would play Sinner in the second round if he advances in his opening match.

Watch the video to learn more about Kouame

Read more from Monte-Carlo
Sinner & Alcaraz’s Monte-Carlo win: What surprising opponents could they face in R2?
How a Sinner Can Become World No. 1 in Monte-Carlo
2026 Monte-Carlo tennis prize money

6) Fonseca is designed to start: Joao Fonseca has tasted success on clay in the past, lifting the trophy at the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires in 2025. The 19-year-old Brazilian is making his Monte-Carlo debut and will open against Gabriel Diallo. Last month, he faced Moetsalibe in Indian Wells and Alcaraz in Miami, pushing the Top 2 players before losing.

7) Wawrinka & Monfils to make final bows: Stan Wawrinka, 41, and Gael Monfils, 39, both intend to finish their playing careers at the end of 2026. Wawrinka won the crown in Monte-Carlo in 2014, while Monfils made the final in 2016. Both will compete for the last time in the event after receiving wild cards. Monfils starts against Tallon Griekspoor and Wawrinka will play Baez.

8) Vacherot leads Monegasque hopes: Valentin Vacherot came to the fore last year in Shanghai, when he became the youngest ATP Masters 1000 champion in history (since 1990). The Monegasque star will now hope to repeat it on home soil, starting against Kamil Majchrzak. The 27-year-old, who reached the second round in Monte-Carlo last year, remains in good form after advancing to the fourth round in Miami.

9) Can De Minaur, Auger-Aliassime, Medvedev or Ruud win? Seeds Alex de Minaur, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev and Casper Ruud will look for a winning form in Monte-Carlo. De Minaur reached the semi-finals last year, while Auger-Aliassime never got past the second round. Medvedev and Ruud have both won ATP Masters 1000 clay court titles, winning in Rome (2023) and Madrid (2025), respectively.

10) The sinner’s issues are twofold: In the starry arena, the Sinner speaks of redemption. The 24-year-old will join Belgian Zizou Bergs. It will be the second time this year that Sinner has competed in the doubles, after losing in the first round to Indian Wells and Reilly Opelka.

Zverev won the title alongside Marcelo Melo in Acapulco in March and will partner the Brazilian in the Principality. De Minaur will play alongside Cameron Norrie, with Czechs Jiri Lehecka and Jakub Mensik in the mix. Lehecka arrives in Monte-Carlo with high confidence after advancing to the singles final in Miami.