Jannik Sinner said he has been missing his fierce rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz. The two have faced each other 16 times since 2021, with Alcaraz holding a 10-6 lead in their head-to-head record. However, Sinner and Alcaraz have not met for nearly five months, with their most recent clash coming in the ATP Finals title match last November.
Both players are currently competing at the Monte Carlo Masters, which marks the start of the clay-court season for many of the game’s top stars. But as the top two players in the world, they can only meet in the final. Sinner also heaped praise on Alcaraz, saying the Spaniard pushes him to work hard for every point.
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“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,” Sinner said in Monte Carlo.
CAN JANNIK SINNER RECLAIM NO.1 SPOT?
Sinner also has a chance to reclaim the World No. 1 ranking during the tournament. If he wins the Monte Carlo title, the Italian will be guaranteed a return to the top spot regardless of how Alcaraz fares.
A semi-final finish would also be enough for Sinner, provided Alcaraz exits before the quarter-finals. If Sinner reaches the final and Alcaraz fails to do the same, he will move back to No. 1 as well. In all other scenarios, Alcaraz will retain the top ranking after the tournament.
After completing the Sunshine Double with titles at Indian Wells and Miami, Sinner has closed the gap to just 190 points behind the Spaniard in the rankings. The Italian has no points to defend at the Monte Carlo Masters, having missed the tournament last season.
Alcaraz, however, will be under pressure as the defending champion, with 1,000 ranking points to protect in Monte Carlo.
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