CARLOS ALCARAZ BEGINS CLAY SEASON AT MONTE-CARLO FOLLOWING EARLY MIAMI EXIT
Carlos Alcaraz targets Roland Garros glory as Jannik Sinner threatens his world No. 1 ranking after the Sunshine Double.
Carlos Alcaraz’s coach, Samuel Lopez, recently shared some insight into the world No. 1’s plans for the upcoming clay season. Alcaraz is aiming to start strong at the Monte-Carlo Masters and hopes to hit his peak by the time Roland Garros arrives.
After a tough run during the Sunshine Double, where he left without any titles, Alcaraz is gearing up for the clay swing. At Indian Wells, Medvedev’s aggressive play proved too much, and then at Miami, Sebastian Korda knocked him out in the Round of 32. It was a rare setback for the top star, prompting him to head home for a break before Monte-Carlo, which kicks off on April 5.
Before the season really takes off, Lopez revealed that Alcaraz plans to compete in Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, and Roland-Garros after Monte-Carlo. Lopez also mentioned that if things had gone better in Miami, they might have skipped Monte-Carlo altogether. But given the current situation, Monte-Carlo will act more as a tune-up event.
“We’re going in with the idea of playing everything, the full clay swing. Monte Carlo wasn’t initially part of the plan if Miami had gone well. But now, it’s more about preparation, Lopez said in an interview with Eurosport ES.
Alcaraz will defend his Monte-Carlo title and try to set the tone for the rest of the clay season. Lopez emphasised that the ultimate goal is for him to be in the best possible shape for Roland Garros, with an eye on clinching a third French Open victory.
“Preparation tournaments help you find your rhythm fast. For us, Monte Carlo is similar to last year’s approach. Last year, everything fell into place, and he won. But the first clay event is tough for almost everyone, as it’s their first on this surface. So, the priority is managing the schedule and arriving in top form at Roland Garros. We’ll see how it goes,” Lopez added.
The qualifying rounds for Monte-Carlo start on April 4, and the main draw begins on April 6. Alcaraz’s first opponent hasn’t been decided yet. Besides defending his title, this tournament is crucial for him as his ranking points are on the line.
Meanwhile, his main rival, Jannik Sinner, made the most of the Sunshine Double, winning both Indian Wells and Miami, dominating Medvedev and Jiri Lehecka along the way. This achievement has made Sinner just 1,190 points shy of Alcaraz in the rankings. With both players set to compete in Monte-Carlo, their battle for the top spot could come down to the final match.
If they both reach the final, whoever wins will claim No. 1 in the world.
Despite their rivalry, Alcaraz took a moment to congratulate Sinner on his Sunshine Double success. He shared a message on Instagram, writing:
“Congratulations @janniksin and team for winning Sunshine Double.”
The two have faced off 16 times, with Alcaraz holding a 10-6 lead. When it comes to major titles, Alcaraz’s 15 to Sinner’s 13 reflect just how close their competition remains.
EMMA RADUCANU DROPS TO NO. 29 AS VIRAL ILLNESS DELAYS COMPETITIVE TENNIS RETURN
Emma Raducanu falls to World No. 29. Discover her Madrid Open comeback plans and the viral illness that halted her WTA season.
Emma Raducanu has slipped further down the WTA rankings as she focuses on regaining her full fitness. At 23, she has faced several interruptions since her breakthrough win at the US Open in 2021.
While Raducanu stands out as a major title winner, having claimed her US Open victory after navigating the qualifiers, she reached her highest ranking at No. 10 less than a year later. Since then, she hasn’t added another singles title to her name, working instead on finding steadiness in her game. She’s aiming to kick off her clay-court season at the Madrid Open later this month. Yet, her ranking has dipped ahead of that event, partly because she withdrew from both the Miami Open and the Linz Open.
Currently listed at No. 29, down one spot from 28, Raducanu hasn’t gained ranking points recently due to recovering from a viral illness. Her last appearance was at Indian Wells in March, where she exited in the third round against Amanda Anisimova.
Her decision to miss Miami and Linz came after falling ill. Reports from BBC Sport noted that she started feeling unwell in February but kept competing until she pulled out of the Austrian tournament.
As Raducanu prepares for a potential comeback at Madrid, which kicks off on April 21, Romania’s Sorana Cirstea has moved ahead in the rankings. At 36, Cirstea climbed three places to 26th after reaching the quarter-finals in Linz.
Interestingly, Raducanu and Cirstea met earlier this year at the Transylvania Open final in Cirstea’s home country. Cirstea won decisively, 6-0, 6-2, though Raducanu admitted she wasn’t at her best even before the match started.
“In Cluj, I picked up a virus at the start of the tournament,” Raducanu shared with the Guardian in February. “I was dealing with that and its after-effects... which lasted for three weeks. I’ve been trying to shake it off. The Middle East trip was really tough for me.”
It seems Raducanu is keen to recover fully before stepping back onto the court. Looking back, Aryna Sabalenka took the 2023 Madrid Open title with a 6-3, 7-6 win over Coco Gauff in the final.
JANNIK SINNER TAKES WORLD NO. 1; ALCARAZ CAN RECLAIM LEAD IN BARCELONA
Jannik Sinner is World No. 1! Discover how Carlos Alcaraz can reclaim the top spot at the Barcelona Open this week.
Jannik Sinner’s win over Carlos Alcaraz at the Monte-Carlo Masters wasn't just a big match; it sent Sinner straight back to the world number one ranking. Now, the Italian leads Alcaraz by 440 points after his Monte-Carlo victory.
But the clay season is packed, and with so many tournaments coming up, there’s still plenty of room for the rankings to shift before Roland Garros rolls around.
Alcaraz doesn’t have to wait long for his shot to reclaim the top spot. His next chance comes right away at the Barcelona Open, his home tournament. Last year, Alcaraz made the final in Barcelona, and now he’s set to chase down Sinner again.
Honestly, their Monte-Carlo match didn’t quite live up to the hype. Blame the wind. It was a pretty scrappy three out of ten match, if we’re being honest. Not exactly the fireworks everyone expected.
Still, Sinner and Alcaraz will be only 160 points apart at the start of the Barcelona Open, really close. If Alcaraz wins in Barcelona, he actually jumps above Sinner in the rankings, but just barely. He’d have 13,410 points, Sinner would have 13,400. It’s that tight.
Plus, if the rumours are true and Sinner skips the Madrid Open, Alcaraz could hang onto the top spot pretty easily.
Even with the recent slip in the rankings, Alcaraz shouldn’t be discouraged. He knew Sinner had been playing out of his mind lately and probably expected the rankings to flip. Sinner outplayed him in Monte-Carlo and fully deserved that win.
But there’s a lot of tennis left this spring. Alcaraz is strong on clay and has more chances, especially in Madrid, to rack up points. Neither player competed in Madrid last year, so both have a great shot to stretch their leads.
With Alcaraz picking up extra points in Barcelona, Sinner might not stay number one for long. Expect this battle at the top to keep flipping back and forth; it’s far from over.
