Jannik Sinner comfortably defeated Ugo Humbert in his opening match at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Sinner, who is looking to reclaim the world number one spot from Carlos Alcaraz, defeated the former Paris Masters finalist 6-3, 6-0 on Court Rainier III.
After completing the ‘Sunshine Double’ last month, Sinner has picked up where he left off and has now won 13 consecutive matches on the ATP Tour.
Sinner is in exemplary form, as highlighted by the Italian winning 91 per cent of his first serve points against Humbert.
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By beating Humbert on Tuesday, Sinner entered rarefied air alongside 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.
Jannik Sinner matches Roger Federer’s Masters 1000 feat
As per OptaAce, Jannik Sinner is the first player to win his first 13 ATP-1000 matches of the season since Roger Federer in 2017.
Sinner’s run began in Indian Wells, where he defeated Joao Fonseca, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev on his way to the title.
He followed this up by winning the Miami Open, becoming only the eighth man in tennis history to complete the ‘Sunshine Double.’
As for Federer, he began the 2017 season in red-hot form, winning a fifth Australian Open title.
His form continued into the American swing – first in Indian Wells, where he beat Nick Kyrgios and Stan Wawrinka on his way to the title.
In Miami, Federer defeated Rafael Nadal to complete the Sunshine Double.
Following Miami, Federer did not participate in any of the clay-court Masters events: Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome.
Instead, Federer made his return at a Masters 1000 event at the Canadian Open, where he reached the final before losing to Alexander Zverev.
Consequently, Federer recorded 17 consecutive victories at Masters 1000 events in 2017.
| Year | Round | Opponent |
| 2021 | Second Round | Novak Djokovic |
| 2022 | Quarter-finals | Alexander Zverev |
| 2023 | Semi-finals | Holger Rune |
| 2024 | Semi-finals | Stefanos Tsitsipas |
Jannik Sinner’s immediate reaction after beating Ugo Humbert in Monte Carlo
“I felt like it was a good performance today,” Sinner said in an interview with Sky Sports.
“From my side, we have to change a little bit the game style, how you approach certain situations. But I’m very happy.
“I feel like the first couple of matches, or the first tournament, is never easy. I didn’t have a lot of time to adapt, so very happy about today, happy that I have at least one more match here.
“I come here with good feelings, but at the same time, not many expectations. It’s a new tournament, so very happy.”
Are you still confident Jannik Sinner can win the Monte-Carlo Masters after receiving this TOUGH draw?
Sinner was then asked to comment on the adjustment from hard courts to clay.
“I feel like you need to adjust on every surface,” the Italian replied.
“The most difficult part, I think, is when you slide, you still need to understand how much you slide. Because on clay you slide a little bit more, so sometimes, I don’t have the right distance yet.
“I’m happy, the best practice is always matches, so one more match to go, and I also know mentally, that after this tournament I have some time off to do different stuff, this also helps.
“Of course, as I always say, main goal is Roland Garros this year, we try to build up to this tournament, there is still a long period of time, so happy with how I made this transition. We need to improve, but I’m very happy.”
