Jannik Sinner recaptures No. 1 ranking with triumph over Carlos Alcaraz at Monte Carlo Masters

Jannik Sinner battled past Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets on Sunday to capture his first Monte Carlo Masters title and reclaim the world No. 1 ranking.

The 24-year-old Italian secured a 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory, extending his Masters 1000 winning streak to 22 matches and narrowing his head-to-head gap with Alcaraz to 10-7. The win also marked his third Masters title of the season—following Indian Wells and Miami—and his first major triumph on clay.

The match began with Alcaraz in control, as the Spaniard jumped out to a 2-0 lead. But Sinner quickly responded, breaking back and forcing a tense first set filled with momentum swings and unforced errors. The set ultimately went to a tiebreak, where Sinner edged ahead despite a brief stumble on set point, closing it out 7-5.

In the second set, Alcaraz missed early opportunities to seize control, failing to convert break chances. Though he briefly moved ahead, Sinner’s relentless pressure turned the tide. The Italian broke back midway through the set and struck again soon after, building a 5-3 advantage before calmly serving out the match in just over two hours.

Sinner said after the match: “We came here just trying to get as many matches as possible, having good feedback before other big tournaments coming up. Today was very high level from both of us. It was a bit windy, breezy, completely different conditions than the tournament until today. But look, the result is amazing. Getting back to No. 1 means a lot to me. At the same, as I always say, the ranking is secondary. I’m very happy to win at least one big trophy on this surface. I haven’t done it before, so it means a lot to me.”

The victory adds to an already remarkable run. Sinner has now won 17 consecutive matches and becomes the first player since Novak Djokovic in 2015 to sweep the first three Masters events of the year. He also joins Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as one of the few players to string together four straight Masters 1000 titles, dating back to his win in Paris last season.

The 22-year-old Alcaraz, who owns multiple major titles this year, including the Australian Open, struggled with consistency on Sunday, committing a high number of unforced errors that ultimately proved costly. Despite the loss, the Spaniard —who entered the final on a 17-match clay winning streak—remained gracious in defeat. “It is impressive what you are achieving right now,” Alcaraz said. “Congratulations for everything.”

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