The top two players in the world will meet for their first clash of 2026 on Sunday afternoon when Carlos Alcaraz faces Jannik Sinner in the Monte Carlo Masters final. We thought we would see the Sincaraz final in almost every tournament this season but we had to wait for Monte Carlo to get this battle.
The match is scheduled to begin not before 3:00 PM local time (CEST). It marks the ninth final between these two generational talents and should be one of the most significant matches so far of the 2026 season.
A match for more than a title
The winner of Sunday’s final will not only get the trophy, around a million in prize money and 1,000 ATP ranking points, he will also claim the top spot in Monday’s ATP rankings. Alcaraz currently holds the No. 1 position, but Sinner will reclaim it with a victory on Sunday. For Alcaraz, this represents a chance to defend his Monte Carlo title and secure his second crown at this clay-court event. For Sinner, it’s an opportunity to capture his first-ever Masters 1000 title on clay.
Sinner is chasing his third consecutive Masters 1000 title after winning Indian Wells and Miami in March. If he succeeds, he’ll become the first player to win the season’s opening three Masters 1000 events since Novak Djokovic in 2015. Only Roger Federer in 2006 and Rafael Nadal in 2011 have achieved this feat in the past two decades.
The Sincaraz rivalry
Alcaraz leads their head-to-head record 10-6 overall, and more significantly, holds a 4-2 advantage on clay. Their most memorable clay-court battle came in the epic 2025 Roland Garros final (watch here), where Alcaraz saved three championship points to deny Sinner the title. The Spaniard also defeated Sinner in the 2024 Roland Garros semifinals, showing he has an edge on the red dirt.
However, Sinner won their most recent meeting at the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals championship match on hard court indoors.
The two have split their last four encounters 2-2. This final will be their 17th career meeting and their ninth final together, it’s clearly one of the greatest rivalries in modern tennis.
Recent form and path to the final
Jannik Sinner arrives in the final riding a 16-match winning streak and has a remarkable 38-2 record in his last 40 matches. The Italian has been nearly unstoppable at Masters 1000 level, winning 21 consecutive matches while dropping just one set in his last 43 sets played at this tier. His season started with a semifinal appearance at the Australian Open (where he lost to Djokovic) and a quarterfinal exit in Doha, but since then he’s been flawless, winning titles at Indian Wells and Miami.
In Saturday’s semifinal, Sinner beat Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-4 in just 82 minutes, converting all four break points and winning 80% (!) of points against Zverev’s first serve in the opening set. The victory extended his winning streak against the German to eight consecutive matches and 11 consecutive sets. After the match, Sinner acknowledged the significance of facing Alcaraz before Roland Garros: “It would be good for me before Paris to play at least once against him, seeing where my level is on this surface.”
Carlos Alcaraz has of course also enjoyed a fantastic 2026 season with a 21-2 record. The Spaniard completed the Career Grand Slam by winning the Australian Open in January, then captured the title in Doha. While he had quite poor Sunshine Double weeks, he’s found his rhythm again on the clay of Monte Carlo.
In his semifinal, Alcaraz ended the fairytale run of local hero Valentin Vacherot with a composed 6-4, 6-4 victory in 84 minutes. Despite facing a vocally supportive home crowd, Alcaraz converted three of four break points and maintained his championship mentality throughout. Speaking afterward, the 22-year-old expressed his excitement: “I think it’s the dream spot for everyone. I’m fighting for my second Monte Carlo title; he’s fighting for his first one. It’s going to be a really special one. The No. 1 is on the line, which will make tomorrow even more special.”
Predictions and Odds
The odds are very even and it is close to impossible to predict winners in their matches. Alcaraz seem to be the small favorite among most betting sites and that is most likely due to the clay surface, where he had more success than Sinner.
The slower clay courts at Monte Carlo suit both players styles though, as Sinner seem to have had no issues with the move from hard court to clay this year. The world No. 1 ranking just adds on more pressure on this final and it’s genuinely too close to call.
I’m expecting a tough battle with multiple momentum shifts, where we’ll see a more variety based game also from the Italian.
Prediction: I will bet on Sinner to eventually claim his first Masters title on clay on Sunday. He has looked extremely focused and balanced in his game and seem to thrive under pressure lately. He might hold his serve easier and we know how good his return game is.
How to Watch the Monte Carlo Final
The final will be broadcast on Sky Sports Tennis and Eurosport across Europe, Tennis Channel in the United States, and will be available via streaming on Tennis TV, Sky Sports+, and Eurosport Player. For viewers in Monaco, the match begins at 3:00 PM CEST, while UK viewers can watch at 2:00 PM BST. In the United States, the final starts at 9:00 AM EDT on the East Coast and 6:00 AM PDT on the West Coast.
I’m with carlos?