Carlos Alcaraz recently won his first Masters 1000 title of the season in Monte-Carlo.
The world number two battled through several tough three-set matches to clinch victory at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Alcaraz beat Francisco Cerundolo in his opening match in the principality, having trailed by a set to love.
The Spaniard found himself a set down once more in the quarterfinals before Alcaraz beat Arthur Fils 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Alcaraz’s win over Lorenzo Musetti in the final, 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, saw him lift the title after another hard-fought victory.
Looking ahead to the rest of the clay season, a key tennis figure has noticed a weakness in Alcaraz’s game that one of his biggest rivals could exploit.
Filippo Volandri thinks Jannik Sinner could ‘exploit’ Carlos Alcaraz’s ‘drops in tension’ when he returns
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Italy’s Davis Cup Captain, Filippo Volandri, was asked whether Alcaraz is the man to beat on clay.
“I think so; it’s a surface that can enhance his ability to always find different solutions,” said Volandri.
Volandri did, however, notice a weakness in Alcaraz’s game during the Spaniard’s win at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
“But the victory in Monte Carlo, although well deserved, told us that Carlos [Alcaraz] still suffers from drops in tension, and his opponents will have to be able to exploit them,” he said.
One of those opponents may well be Jannik Sinner, who is set to return to tennis in Rome following his three-month suspension.
Sinner’s Davis Cup Captain gave his thoughts on the technical improvements he thinks the 23-year-old may have made during his time away from the sport.
“Jannik [Sinner] is supported by a top-level team that will surely have identified the technical points on which to focus more,” said Volandri.
“That said, certainly using the serve out more and with a higher bounce is definitely functional, because it takes the opponent away from the court already in the opening shots of the game.
“Simply hitting the serve on clay may not be productive, also because the surface does not return all the power.”
Volandri also shared what Sinner’s coach, Simone Vagnozzi told him recently about how the world number one is feeling before warning fans that it may take some time to see the Australian Open champion return to his best form.
“Last week I was having dinner with [Simone] Vagnozzi, he told me about an extremely motivated Sinner, already focused on the events that await him and mentally very calm,” said Volandri.
“But we must not forget that for an athlete, the adrenaline of competition is irreplaceable because nothing can reproduce the conditions of the match, and Jannik will not [have played] for three months when he returns.
“Therefore, even if he has accustomed us to phenomenal paths, let’s not expect a series of victories right away: it would not be human.
“Certainly, the more matches he plays, the closer he will be to the ideal shape for Paris.”
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s head-to-head record on clay
Alcaraz and Sinner will be the number one and two seeds for the 2025 French Open, potentially setting up a mouth-watering clash in the final.
Of their ten ATP Tour meetings to date, just two have come on the clay, with the head-to-head level at 1-1.
- 2024 French Open SF – Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner, 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
- 2022 Croatia Open F – Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz, 6-7, 6-1, 6-1
Alcaraz beat Sinner on his way to the French Open title in 2024, battling through in five thrilling sets on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The Italian had won their one previous meeting on the surface, securing his sole career clay court title in Umag three years ago.
After losing the first set in a tiebreaker, Sinner fought back to win in three, 6-7, 6-1, 6-1, to lift the trophy high in Croatia.
Only time will tell who will win their next match on clay, but fans will certainly hope to see the world’s top two players face off again soon.
Their next meeting could come at the 2025 Italian Open, which begins on May 7.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
