Jannik Sinner is pushing hard for the world number one ranking after his strong showings in both Indian Wells and Miami.
The Italian lost the top spot last year to Carlos Alcaraz following his defeat in the US Open final, but he’s now within touching distance of reclaiming it from the Spaniard.
Sinner has made up considerable ground over the past month, picking up tournament wins in Indian Wells and Miami.
The 23-year-old can take back top spot when he plays at next week’s Monte Carlo Masters – and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him pull it off.
What Sinner needs to do to overtake Alcaraz
There are a few scenarios where Jannik Sinner could take back the top ranking from Carlos Alcaraz.
The most direct route would be if the two meet in the Monte Carlo final. A win there would give Sinner enough points to move back to number one.
If that happened, Sinner would gain 1,000 ATP ranking points, while Alcaraz would lose 350, as he is defending last year’s title.
Sinner could also move ahead if he makes the final and Alcaraz goes out in the semi-finals.
Alcaraz has been strong in recent years, but early exits aren’t unheard of. He lost recently to Daniil Medvedev and Sebastian Korda in Indian Wells and Miami.
Sinner could also take over if he reaches the semi-finals and Alcaraz doesn’t make it that far.
Taking back the number one spot won’t be easy. With time off before Monte Carlo, Alcaraz will be well-prepared for the tournament.
Sinner looking for breakthrough title at Monte-Carlo
Jannik Sinner’s last appearance at the Monte Carlo Masters came in 2024, where he put together a strong run to the semi-finals.
He took out Sebastian Korda, Jan-Lennard Struff and Holger Rune before falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas in three sets: 4-6, 6-3, 4-6.
After that win, Tsitsipas said: “It was one of the best first sets I have played on clay. So much consistency and great quality of shot-making. Just pure, clean game from start to finish. I was playing as equally good on the cross as I was playing on the down-the-line.
“It was a great feeling to be kind of in the zone right from the beginning.
“It was important that I started the game like this to give myself a chance also in the third set, because, you know, I feel like my opponent knew that I had that level and I could play that any time so he, in a way, had to be careful of being consistent with me.”
The Greek player went on to claim the title by beating Casper Ruud in the final.
Sinner has yet to win or even reach a final at Monte Carlo. In fact, he hasn’t played many finals on clay in general.
Sinner has only one career title on clay despite being regarded as one of the top players on that surface. The expectations remain high for him regardless.
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