Alcaraz: I was very surprised that Sinner participated in Monte Carlo after winning the Sunshine Double.

The current world number one Alcaraz stated that he was taken aback by Sinner's choice to enter the 2026 Monte Carlo Masters following the Italian's triumphs at Indian Wells and Miami. Alcaraz also looks forward to possibly encountering this Italian opponent on the European clay courts.

Alcaraz has already won the Australian Open and Qatar Open this year, entering the Sunshine Double as a top contender aiming for titles at both Indian Wells and Miami. However, he unexpectedly lost to Medvedev in the Indian Wells semifinals and suffered a surprising defeat to Korda in the Miami third round. Sinner seized the opportunity presented by the world number one's losses, decisively capturing both Masters titles.

Both players have now arrived in Monte Carlo to participate in the first Masters event of this year's European clay season. Before the tournament, Alcaraz attended a press conference and, when discussing his opponent Sinner's excellent physical condition, the seven-time Grand Slam champion remarked: "Honestly, I was quite surprised that Jannik came to Monte Carlo after playing Indian Wells, Miami, and the entire tour. But this clearly shows he is in very good physical shape and capable of doing so."

When asked about his anticipation of facing the world number two, the Spaniard added: "Hopefully we can meet in Monte Carlo, who knows. Obviously we haven't played against each other this year, and I hope to encounter him during this clay season."

Alcaraz and Sinner previously met in the 2025 Rome Open final, where Alcaraz won 7-6(5), 6-1. Weeks later, they staged a classic showdown in the French Open final. At that time, the Italian had the chance to claim his first clay Grand Slam title, but the Spanish opponent resisted the pressure, saved three match points, and successfully defended his Roland Garros championship.

At the 2026 Monte Carlo Masters, Alcaraz is the defending champion, having defeated Musetti in last year's final. Since Alcaraz is the top seed and Sinner the second seed for this event, they could only meet in the final.

It can certainly be said that Alcaraz is very excited about starting his clay season at the Monte Carlo Masters. "I really, really am happy to return to Monte Carlo; it's the first tournament of the clay season, at least for me, and it feels great," Alcaraz said Thursday in an interview with ATP media. "Honestly, I missed this place so much. I will try to enjoy this wonderful venue and this fantastic event as much as possible. It's truly amazing."

"Coming here as the defending champion, honestly I don't think about it. I just try to maintain a good mindset, strive to improve after every training session, and then see how things turn out."

In 2025, Alcaraz started his clay season with two consecutive losses—he fell to Draper at Indian Wells and then to Goffin in Miami. But since arriving in the Principality of Monaco (Monte Carlo), he has won 33 out of his next 34 matches.

Clay has always been Alcaraz's "fortune ground." According to ATP statistics, his win rate on clay courts is as high as 84.4%. In historical records, only Nadal (90.5%) and Björn Borg (86.1%) have higher clay win rates than him. Therefore, after losing to Korda in the Miami Open third round, this tournament presents an excellent opportunity for the Spaniard to "get back on track."

"I first played tennis on clay courts; I grew up on clay. I started playing at age 4 and only encountered hard courts for the first time when I was 8, and even then only occasionally, so I've almost always trained and competed on clay," Alcaraz said. "That's why I have a special affection for the clay season. And once the clay season ends, it's almost a whole year before playing on clay again; for me, that waiting period feels particularly long."(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)