Carlos Alcaraz says if he’s been surprised by Jannik Sinner’s level at the Monte Carlo Masters

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Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are, by some distance, the two best players in the world.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that they will once again clash for a title later today, with the Monte Carlo Masters their latest battleground.

It’s their first-ever meeting at this event, but far from their first on this surface.

In fact, clay has actually played host to some of their most famous clashes, with last year’s Roland Garros final still fresh in the mind.

Speaking ahead of today’s showdown, Carlos Alcaraz has been discussing Jannik Sinner’s level throughout the tournament. One reporter was keen to learn whether the world number one had been at all surprised at the Italian’s ability to transition so seamlessly from hard to clay, after winning both Indian Wells and Miami.

Carlos Alcaraz rates Jannik Sinner’s level in Monte Carlo this week

Rating Sinner’s performances through the event, and whether they ever talk about their shared dominance over the ATP Tour, Alcaraz began by admitting: “Well, it’s not really something that we talk too much about, but there are some players that make some jokes about it.”

Carlos Alcaraz concedes Jannik Sinner will become world number one!

Will it happen this week in Monte Carlo?

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He then spoke for himself and on behalf of his great rival, suggesting: “But I don’t know. I’m just trying to do my best, you know, in every match, in every tournament, and I would say Jannik the same thing. So just happy for yourself doing great in every tournament we play, the consistency we have, I think it’s great, and, you know, every time that we play against each other, we raise the level to the top.

“So I would say in a way that the people is waiting for us to meet in every tournament. The thing is, we could say, like, we’re not superheroes and that we’re gonna win every match.

“It’s going to be the first meeting in 2026, so that means we lost in the previous rounds before. I’m seeing other players as well catching us up, and let’s see how it’s going to be.”

Alcaraz’s final statement was one of great maturity, as he added: “Personally, I’m just happy that every time I lose or every time Jannik loses, I think we learn from that loss.”

Alcaraz has been training ahead of the final, straight after his semi-final win over Valentin Vacherot. He is clearly intent on not losing this match or his Monte Carlo crown.

What has happened every time Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have played in a final

Whilst their every meeting is a final nowadays, given they are so comfortably the top two-ranked players in the world, this was not always the case.

After all, whilst they were both still emerging onto the scene, the tennis world got to see some incredible battles between them way before everything was about titles and trophies.

Alas, out of the 16 times they have faced one another, eight of them have been in finals. All of their last seven meetings were in finals too.

Their first direct clash for a title came in Umag, with Sinner coming out on top.

Since then, Alcaraz has been the more dominant force in the big occasions, winning Beijing, Rome, Roland Garros, Cincinnati and the US Open.

Alas, the Italian did claim Wimbledon and the ATP Finals last year, to snag a few back.