Carlos Alcaraz surrendered the world number one ranking to Jannik Sinner in Monte Carlo.
But the Spaniard knew what was coming…
After winning his opening match in Monte Carlo, Alcaraz said he expected Sinner to become world number one.
Carlos Alcaraz concedes Jannik Sinner will become world number one!
Will it happen this week in Monte Carlo?
Former ATP pro Sam Querrey has now delivered his verdict on those comments.
Sam Querrey says Carlos Alcaraz is ‘okay with losing’ and argues that makes him dangerous
During the latest episode of ‘Nothing Major‘, Querrey shared his thoughts on what Alcaraz said recently.
“I thought it was cool that before the tournament they interviewed Carlos [Alcaraz] and he acknowledged he was going to lose the number one ranking at some point,” he said.
ATP Rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 13,350 |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 13,240 |
| 3 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 5,555 |
| 4 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 4,710 |
| 5 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Canada | 4,100 |
| 6 | Ben Shelton | USA | 3,900 |
| 7 | Alex de Minaur | Australia | 3,895 |
| 8 | Taylor Fritz | USA | 3,870 |
| 9 | Lorenzo Musetti | Italy | 3,625 |
| 10 | Daniil Medvedev | Russia | 3,560 |
“Whether that was Monte Carlo or some point during the clay court season, he knows basically that he has too many points to defend.
“[Jannik] Sinner does not have any.”
Points Carlos Alcaraz will defend on clay in 2026
- Monte Carlo Masters – 1,000 points
- Barcelona Open – 330 points
- Italian Open – 1,000 points
- French Open – 2,000 points
- Total – 4,330 points
Points Jannik Sinner will defend on clay in 2026
- Italian Open – 650 points
- French Open – 1,300 points
- Total – 1,950 points
Querrey was impressed by Alcaraz, and he argued that some of the sport’s greatest players wouldn’t have made such a statement.
“That was kind of cool, I thought,” he said.
“I never remember Rafa [Nadal], Roger [Federer], or Novak [Djokovic] saying that.
“He was basically just like I’m okay with it.
“I feel like that checks out for Carlos too.
“When I watch him play matches, I feel like he is okay with losing.
Matches Carlos Alcaraz has lost this year
- 2026 Indian Wells SF [LOSS] vs Daniil Medvedev, 3-6, 6-7
- 2026 Miami Open 3R [LOSS] vs Sebastian Korda, 3-6, 7-5, 4-6
- 2026 Monte Carlo Masters F [LOSS] vs Jannik Sinner, 6-7, 3-6
“He leaves the court with a smile on his face, and it also makes him so good and dangerous, for sure.
“He plays with that freedom where he is okay with the loss, and he’s okay with losing that number one ranking.”
Alcaraz may put that freedom to good use at the upcoming Barcelona Open.
With Sinner resting this week, Alcaraz could return to world number one if he wins his home tournament.
But who will he have to beat to earn himself a 67th week at number one?
Carlos Alcaraz’s route to the Barcelona Open title
Alcaraz will meet the Finnish qualifier, Otto Virtanen, in the first round.
Virtanen, the world number 130, hasn’t won an ATP Tour main draw match this year, and will walk on court as a big underdog taking on the seven-time Grand Slam champion.
Assuming Alcaraz avoids the upset, he will advance to play either Sebastian Baez or Tomas Machac in round two.
The Spaniard won’t take either player lightly, but should make his way through to the quarter-finals without too much trouble.
Carlos Alcaraz’s Barcelona Open draw
| Round | Highest-ranked potential opponent | Potential seeded opponents |
| 1R | Otto Virtanen (130) | – |
| 2R | Tomas Machac (47) | – |
| QF | Andrey Rublev (15) | [5] Andrey Rublev |
| SF | Alex de Minaur (7) | [3] Alex de Minaur |
| F | Lorenzo Musetti (9) | [2] Lorenzo Musetti, [4] Karen Khachanov, [7] Cameron Norrie, [9] Arthur Fils |
There, he could meet Russia’s Andrey Rublev.
Rublev is a former Masters 1000 champion and knows his way around the red dirt, though he failed to impress at last week’s Monte Carlo Masters.
Andrey Rublev at the 2026 Monte Carlo Masters
- 1R [WIN] vs Nuno Borges, 6-4, 1-6, 6-1
- 2R [LOSS] vs Zizou Bergs, 4-6, 1-6
Again, Alcaraz would be expected to pick up the win.
In the semi-finals, Alcaraz might play Australia’s Alex de Minaur.
The Aussie lost in the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters, and will be determined to bounce back in Barcelona.
Unfortunately for De Minaur, he doesn’t have history on his side…
He has never beaten Alcaraz, losing all six of their ATP Tour meetings.
If Alcaraz were to extend that record to 7-0, he could meet the likes of Lorenzo Musetti, Karen Khachanov, or Arthur Fils in the final.
They’re all great players and have the potential to cause problems for Alcaraz, but if he is playing anywhere near his A-game, he should have enough to win this year’s Barcelona Open.
He won’t want to get ahead of himself thinking about the final just yet, though, as he now turns his attention to Virtanen and the first round.
Alcaraz will play his first-round match on Tuesday, April 14.
