A straight-sets victory over Carlos Alcaraz in a blustery final at the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters restores Jannik Sinner to the summit of world tennis. Sinner triumphed 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.
Jannik Sinner is back where Italy wants him. The 24-year-old from South Tyrol claimed his first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday, defeating Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in a high-stakes Monte Carlo final to simultaneously secure the trophy and reclaim the world number one ranking. The win means Sinner begins his 67th week as World No. 1 on Monday, moving one clear of Alcaraz, who had held the top spot for 66 weeks. It is the first time Sinner has been ranked first since the week of 3 November 2025.
“The result is amazing,” said Sinner in his on-court interview. “Getting back to number one means a lot for me. I am very happy to win a big title on this surface. I haven’t done it before and it means a lot to me.”
Fourth consecutive Masters 1000 title
The Monte Carlo crown is not Sinner’s fourth consecutive Masters 1000 title of his career. He becomes only the third player ever to win four consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles, joining Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Nadal, of course, won Monte Carlo a record eleven times.
Sinner also joined Djokovic as the only men to have claimed the first three ATP Masters 1000 titles of a single season. His Paris Masters victory towards the end of last season was followed by the Indian Wells and Miami Opens, the celebrated Sunshine Double, and now Monte Carlo. He swept all three 2026 Masters finals in straight sets, becoming the first man to claim the Sunshine Double without dropping a set.
The numbers elsewhere are similarly staggering. Sinner has won his past 17 matches and stands on a 22-match winning streak at Masters 1000 level. The last time he lost a match at that tier was in Shanghai in October, when he retired against Tallon Griekspoor.
Blustery conditions
Sunday’s final on Court Rainier III was played in difficult, blustery conditions that disrupted both players’ rhythm, though Alcaraz — who committed 45 unforced errors — was the one more visibly unsettled. Sinner rallied from 1-3 down in the second set amid the gusts, eventually serving out the match and clinching it on his first match point when Alcaraz’s forehand return sailed long.
The first set was decided by a single moment of fortune and frailty: Alcaraz struck a costly double fault on set point in the tie-break to hand Sinner the opener. Sinner acknowledged the challenge the conditions posed. “It was a bit windy, a bit breezy. Different conditions from what the tournament has brought,” he said. “I felt a bit tired, so I tried to keep the right mentality. Having this trophy means a lot to me.”
Sinner lost just one set during the entire tournament ending a remarkable 37-set winning streak at Masters 1000 level.
Alcaraz had entered the final on the back of 17 consecutive victories on clay, stretching back to his Rome and Roland Garros triumphs last season, tournaments in which he beat Sinner in both finals.
The Spaniard, gracious throughout the trophy ceremony, offered his rival a measure of genuine admiration. “It is impressive what you are achieving right now,” Alcaraz told Sinner. “Just one man had won the Sunshine Double and Monte Carlo, and you are now the second. It is something incredible and I just experienced how difficult it is. Congratulations for everything and the work you are doing with your team.”
