Alcaraz expects to lose world No. 1 as Sinner’s clay drought looms over Monte-Carlo title defence
Carlos Alcaraz beat Sebastian Baez in 70 minutes and then said the quiet part out loud – he expects to lose the No. 1 ranking before the clay season ends.
Carlos Alcaraz, Monte-Carlo 2026 | © Chryslène Caillaud
Carlos Alcaraz, the top seed, reached the last 16 of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Argentine Sebastian Baez on Tuesday, then delivered a candid assessment of his position at the top of the rankings – one he expects to vacate before the clay season is out.
On court, Alcaraz was largely dominant. He raced to 6-1, 4-1 before losing focus and surrendering a break, but closed out the match in 70 minutes with 24 winners.
The 24 unforced errors that accompanied them were a minor footnote — the Spaniard was playing with the kind of high-risk intent that defines his clay game at its best. Baez, ranked No. 65, had beaten Stan Wawrinka 7-5, 7-5 in the previous round but had no answer for the pace and variety Alcaraz produced.
“To be honest, I am going to lose the No. 1 ranking”
“To be honest, I am going to lose the No. 1 ranking,” Alcaraz said after the match. “I don’t know if it will be at this tournament or the next one. I have to defend a lot of points, and it will be very difficult to keep all of them. And even if I manage it, Sinner will gain points at tournaments where he has none to defend. I am just going to try to play my best tennis and see what happens. The No. 1 spot is not in my mind right now. I am just trying to feel as good as possible on clay and see how the season unfolds.”
The arithmetic is unforgiving. Alcaraz must defend the points from a final in Barcelona, titles in Rome and Roland-Garros, while Jannik Sinner – who played only those last two clay tournaments in 2025, reaching the final at both and losing to Alcaraz each time – arrives on the dirt with nothing to protect and everything to gain.
Alcaraz, ranked No. 1 and the defending champion in Monaco, will next face the winner of the match between Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Frenchman Terence Atmane.
