PIF ATP real-time ranking prediction
How Sinner became world No. 1 in Monte Carlo
Alcaraz beats Sinner by 1,190 points on European clay
April 4, 2026
ATP Tour
Carlos Alcaraz and Yannick Sinner will continue their battle for world number one in Monte Carlo.
Sam Jacott
Jannik Sinner follows Carlos Alcaraz to the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters for the world number one spot in the PIF ATP rankings after completing his “sunshine double”.
Sinner, who just won titles in Indian Wells and Miami in March, has surged to within 190 points of the Spaniard in the PIF ATP live rankings. The Italian is scoreless in Monte Carlo after missing out on the event last year, so he clearly has a chance to apply more pressure in the first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event of the season. Alcaraz is currently defending 1,000 points after claiming the Principality title for the first time 12 months ago.
If Sinner doesn’t reach at least the semifinals in Monte Carlo, Alcaraz will remain No. 1 on April 13. But the Italian can rise to first place in a variety of situations.
The simplest case is to win the championship. If Sinner wins the Monte Carlo title, the 22-year-old Spaniard will firmly remain No. 1 in the world no matter what he does in the principality.
If Sinner reaches the semifinals and Alcaraz exits before the quarterfinals, Sinner will return to first place. If Sinner reaches the final and Alcaraz does not, the Italian will take the lead. In any other scenario, Alcaraz would have remained No. 1 in the world after the tournament.
Alcaraz/Sinner scoring round by round
| West/Japan | R32 | R16 | quality framework | SF Express | F | watt | |
| Alcaraz | 12,590 | 12,600 | 12,690 | 12,790 | 12,990 | 13,240 | 13,590 |
| sinner | 12,400 | 12,400 | 12,450 | 12,550 | 12,750 | 13,000 | 13,350 |
Sinner holds a 10-4 record in Monte Carlo, with his best results coming in the semifinals in 2023 and 2024, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. Alcaraz, meanwhile, had never won a race in the competition before last year but had an outstanding week in 2025 to take the title.
In addition to Monte Carlo, Alcaraz will face a tough challenge on clay courts due to his performance last year when he lifted trophies at Roland Garros and Rome and reached the final in Barcelona, needing to defend his title with 3,300 points. Sinner finished runner-up to Alcaraz at both the French Open and Rome and currently has 1,950 points.
Alcaraz will begin his 66th week as world No. 1 on Monday, tying Sinner’s total. But with margins tightening and the clay-court season just getting started, Monte Carlo could prove to be a crucial turning point in the title race.
If Alcaraz and Sinner meet in the final, it will be their first meeting since the Nitto ATP Finals Championship in November, with the winner taking home the crown and claiming the No. 1 spot in the PIF ATP Rankings.
