Match Report
Sinner leads Alcaraz in Monte-Carlo final
Italian wins opening set on tie-break
April 12, 2026
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Jannik Sinner in action on Sunday in Monte-Carlo.
By Sam Jacot
Jannik Sinner has won the opening set against Carlos Alcaraz in the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters title decider on Sunday. The Italian leads 7-6(5) on Court Rainier III after 74 minutes.
The blockbuster clash marks the pair’s first meeting since November, when Sinner came out on top in the Nitto ATP Finals championship match. Sunday’s showdown carries great weight: the winner would not only claim the Monte-Carlo crown, but would also leave the Principality at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
In blustery conditions on Court Rainier III, a star-studded crowd, including Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Stefan Edberg and Holger Rune, looked on as Alcaraz struck first, earning an early break when Sinner pushed a loose forehand long on break point. The Italian soon settled, though, finding his rhythm and asserting greater consistency from the baseline to level.
Alcaraz struggled to generate his usual damage on second serve, with the cooler conditions limiting the impact of his kick serve into Sinner’s backhand. However, the Spaniard responded under pressure, saving a crucial break point in the ninth game when Sinner misfired on the forehand. Sinner managed the swirling conditions more effectively in the tie-break, finding his spots on serve and reading the Alcaraz drop shot to seize control of the breaker.
The Italian clinched the set when Alcaraz hit a double fault, after Sinner had squandered his first set-point opportunity when he struck a short forehand into the net. Sinner’s first-serve percentage in the first set was at 53 per cent, the lowest it has been all season, but he managed to raise it in the tie-break.
Sinner arrived in Monte-Carlo in red-hot form, having etched his name into the history books as the first player to win the ‘Sunshine Double’, titles in Indian Wells and Miami, without dropping a set. The 24-year-old also triumphed in Paris last season with a flawless record.
Although Tomas Machac ended his historic 37-set winning streak at Masters 1000 level earlier this week, Sinner showed resilience, battling past the Czech in three set before dispatching Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Zverev to reach his first Monte-Carlo final. The 24-year-old is now aiming to join Novak Djokovic (2015) as the only men to win Miami and Monte-Carlo back to back.
Alcaraz is chasing a Tour-leading third title of the season, having completed the Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open and added another trophy in Doha. An eight-time Masters 1000 champion, he’s riding a 17-match clay-court winning streak, stretching back to triumphs in Rome and Roland Garros last year, when he defeated Sinner in both finals.
Sinner entered Sunday’s final on a 16-match winning run and hunts his eighth Masters 1000 title, but history on clay favours Alcaraz, who leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry 3-1 on the surface and 10-6 overall.
