Carlos Alcaraz
Alcaraz: ‘It’s great to have Sinner as a focal point’
The Spaniard is the top seed this week at the ATP 500 in Barcelona
April 13, 2026
Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell | Trofeo Conde de Godó
Carlos Alcaraz is chasing his third title of the season.
By ATPTour.com/es Staff
Even when he has more than enough reason to do so, it seems Carlos Alcaraz just can’t stop smiling. Just hours after bowing out in the final of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and surrendering the No. 1 spot in the PIF ATP Rankings, he appears to have digested the disappointment of defeat remarkably well. The Spaniard, who recently touched down in his home country to compete in this week’s Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, spoke about his intense battle for the top with Jannik Sinner.
“Jannik is one of those players who makes me a better player. He makes me realise my weaknesses, what I really need to focus on in each practice session and each match, so I try to improve every day,” Alcaraz said. “It’s great to have him as a focal point and to see him achieving all that he’s achieving.”
Alcaraz and Sinner kicked off their season’s Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry on Sunday in the final of the ATP Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo, where the Italian claimed his first title in the category on clay.
“Honestly, I’m glad to see Jannik improving,” Alcaraz, who was the defending champion, said. “He has openly said that the clay swing wasn’t his favourite because of his playing style. Seeing the results he’s getting and the level he’s showing on clay makes me happy, because he’s the player who makes me improve, makes me stop and think about how I can be better, and what I need to work on to try and beat him.”
The Spaniard, who last season took the spoils in Monte-Carlo, Rome and at Roland Garros, will have to face the best version of the Italian if he wants to repeat his success on the surface. Sinner has won the first three ATP Masters 1000 tournaments of the season, two on hard court and another on clay.
“I’m glad to see him making giant strides, especially on clay,” Alcaraz said. “He’s beaten me on every surface, and I’ve also beaten him on every surface. When we face each other, there’s no favourite regardless of the surface, so we’ll see how this clay swing goes. Hopefully it’ll be like last year.”
For Alcaraz, the tour continues at the ATP 500 in Barcelona, where he is the top seed.
“I won’t miss him this week,” Alcaraz joked about the Italian’s absence from the draw. “I saw that I have to win the tournament here if I want to get the No. 1 back. I think the battle between Jannik and myself is great. I think it probably provides extra motivation.
“But we’re focused, and my mind is set on trying to stay on the path we’re on, trying to keep improving. We’re very clear about what we need to do and put into practice in training and in matches, especially after yesterday’s defeat. That’s the main goal, results and points are extra motivation.”
Barcelona represents another opportunity for Alcaraz. The battle for the top continues.
