Carlos Alcaraz was unable to defend his Monte Carlo Masters title against Jannik Sinner in the final.
Alcaraz was beaten by Sinner 7-6(5), 6-3, despite being up a break in both sets of the final.
Not only does it mean that he lost the Monte Carlo Masters title, but it also means that Alcaraz has been dethroned at the top of the ATP rankings by Sinner.
How long will Jannik Sinner stay as world number one?
Sinner will begin his third reign after winning the Monte Carlo Masters…
Alcaraz was particularly vocal expressing his frustrations during the first set of the match and was heard telling his coach Samuel Lopez what he thought was the differentiating factor between himself and Sinner.
Carlos Alcaraz was annoyed with his serve in the Monte Carlo Masters final
Alcaraz had not lost on clay to Sinner since 2022, but he was heard telling his coach Lopez that the key difference in the match was the amount of first serves they were hitting.
“He gets everything on the first serve and I don’t get a single one,” said Alcaraz. “The first serve is the difference in everything.”
While this was Alcaraz’s belief, he actually hit a greater percentage of first serves in the court than Sinner.
However, Sinner won a higher percentage of points on both his first and second serve, as well as being broken less than Alcaraz.
| Monte Carlo Masters final | Carlos Alcaraz | Jannik Sinner |
| Aces | 3 | 0 |
| Double Faults | 5 | 2 |
| First Serve % | 58% | 51% |
| First Serve Win % | 60% | 66% |
| Second Serve Win % | 56% | 65% |
| Games Broken | 3 | 2 |
When could Carlos Alcaraz become world number one again?
Alcaraz has now lost his world number one ranking from Sinner for the first time since November, but it may not be long until he claims it again.
The gap between Sinner and Alcaraz at the top of the ATP rankings is just 160 points, and they could change positions in just one week’s time.
Will Jannik Sinner win the French Open?
Alcaraz is scheduled to compete next week at the Barcelona Open, where he finished as runner-up last year.
As a result, the maximum number of ranking points Alcaraz can gain in Barcelona is 170, meaning that would be enough to help him overtake Sinner again.
Both Alcaraz and Sinner missed the Madrid Open last year, and therefore they would be on a level playing field if they return to the Spanish capital.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
