Sinner seizes the throne: world No. 1 after defeating Alcaraz in Monte-Carlo final
A 7-6, 6-3 victory over the reigning champion ends Alcaraz’s 22-week reign at the top of the rankings, hands Sinner his 67th week at No. 1 —–and delivers his first title on clay at the highest level.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcareaz, Monte-Carlo 2026 | © Chryslène Caillaud / PsNews
Jannik Sinner is the new world No. 1. The Italian defeated reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 6-3 on Sunday to claim the Monte-Carlo title, end his rival’s 22-consecutive-week reign at the top of the rankings – and begin one of his own. It is Sinner’s 67th week at No. 1, breaking a tie that had felt almost symbolic: both men arrived on Court Rainier III having spent exactly 66 weeks there.
“Having this trophy with me now means a lot to me”, Sinner said on court. It’s a completely different tournament, I come here, sleeping at home and everything. It means a lot.”
Sinner wanted “one big trophy” on clay
The words were the same but the feeling quite different with the number one ranking. “It means a lot to me. At the same time, the ranking is secondary. I’m very happy to win at least one big trophy on this surface. I haven’t done it before. It means a lot to me.” Sinner’s only ATP title on clay was Umag in 2022…. already defeating Alcaraz in the final.
The victory is the centrepiece of a 2026 season that is rapidly entering historic territory. Monte-Carlo is Sinner’s third Masters 1000 title of the year, following Indian Wells and Miami, making him the first player since Novak Djokovic in 2015 to win the first three Masters 1000 events of a season. It also extends his winning streak at that level to 22 matches – the seventh-longest run in the series since it began in 1990 – and gives him four consecutive Masters 1000 titles dating back to Paris last year, a feat only Djokovic (three times) and Nadal have achieved.
It is also a statement win on clay, where Alcaraz had long held the upper hand. Sinner’s victory cuts the Spaniard’s head-to-head advantage on the surface to 4-2 (Challengers included) and snaps a clay-court winning streak that had stretched to 17 matches. The last man to beat Alcaraz on dirt was Holger Rune, in last year’s Barcelona final. On Sunday, in Monaco, it was Sinner’s turn.
Alcaraz to sinner : “Incredible what you’re doing”
His last two wins against Alcaraz – at the ATP Finals in November and now here – have both come without dropping a set. He has won 44 of his last 45 sets at Masters 1000 level and 39 of his last 41 matches overall. It is his eighth Masters 1000 title, his 27th career title, and his first at Monte-Carlo.
“It’s impressive what you’re achieving right now”, Alcaraz said on court to Sinner. “As far as I’m concerned, just one man in the Open Era won the Sunshine Double and Monte-Carlo. You’re the second one to achieve it. It’s something incredible. It’s so difficult to make that happen. Congratulations for everything and for the work you’re doing with your team.”
The match followed a pattern that is becoming familiar. A tight first set, resolved in a tiebreak. A second set that opened level before one player pulled away. The ATP Finals in November unfolded in almost identical fashion, with Sinner winning both times (7-6, 6-4 last November).
Alcaraz broke first, twice
Alcaraz broke first and led 2-0, looking the sharper of the two early on. Sinner broke back immediately, and from 4-4 the level from both men rose sharply. The tension carried into the tiebreak. At 2-2, Alcaraz played a short drop shot that sat up – Sinner put it away to lead 5-2. He reached set point at 6-4, missed a passing shot on the forehand. Then Alcaraz double-faulted to hand him the set. The first set alone had taken 74 minutes.
The second set briefly suggested the contest was still open. Alcaraz led 3-1, and the match appeared to be heading somewhere straightforward. “I felt close on the return games,” Sinner said. “I had a feeling the new balls helped me. The ball change was at 2-1. I tried to stay there mentally. Trying to keep pushing. I felt a bit tired. I tried to keep up with the right mentality.”
At 7-6, 3-3 after two hours, nothing pointed to what was coming. Only 15 minutes of tennis remained – the time it took for Alcaraz to crack. Sinner won the last nine points of the match across the final two games. The point count at the end: Sinner 89, Alcaraz 80.
One of the things that makes the victory remarkable is how Sinner achieved it. He served without an ace, landed only 51 per cent of first serves and won 66 per cent of points behind them – well below his usual standards. Alcaraz’s numbers were lower still. Where Sinner compensated was in the rallies – the relentless baseline pressure, the defensive retrieval, the refusal to offer anything cheap, the qualities that have defined him since long before he reached No. 1. On clay, against Alcaraz, it is now enough.
