Jannik Sinner needs a victory against Carlos Alcaraz in the 2026 Monte-Carlo Masters against Carlos Alcaraz. The winner will be the ATP No. 1, but the Italian might simply need a win for his confidence against the Spaniard. The rivalry between the two best ATP players of their generation is fairly one-sided.
The only hope Sinner has had recently when the two have faced each other is when the match takes place on an indoor hard court. The current ATP No. 2 is seemingly unbeatable in those conditions. The current ATP No. 1 has the advantage almost everywhere else.
The Monte-Carlo final, however, is held outdoors and on clay, where Alcaraz appears to have a decisive advantage. The last time the Italian defeated the Spaniard on the surface was in 2022 at Umag. The players have played each other three times on clay since then.
Preview, start time, and how to watch the Monte-Carlo Masters final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
Overall, Alcaraz has won seven of the last nine meetings against Sinner, though they have split their last four meetings, with Sinner taking the most recent match at the ATP Finals last November. Both players are currently in top form, though, which should make for a fun final.
The guess here is that, due to the surface, Carlos Alcaraz will defeat Jannik Sinner in three sets. By doing so, Alcaraz will, at least for now, hang on to the No. 1 ranking, though Sinner is well within striking distance should he do well for the rest of April and into early May. Should Sinner win on Sunday, he will take over the top spot on the ATP tour.
The match will take place on Sunday, April 12, at 3 pm Monte-Carlo time. If you live in Eastern Daylight Time in the Western Hemisphere, that means the match will begin at 9 am. If you live in Melbourne, Australia, the match will begin at 11 pm.
Sinner moved into the final by dominating Alexander Zverev in the semifinals in two sets. Alcaraz reached the final by defeating Cinderella story Valentin Vacherot in his semifinal match.
Monte-Carlo Masters 2026 final: How to watch
- United States: Tennis Channel and Tennis Channel Plus
- United Kingdom: Sky Sports Tennis
- Canada: TSN
- Australia: beIN Sports
- France: Eurosport France
- Italy: Sky Italia
- Latin America: ESPN International
- China: Youku
For a list of all broadcasters of Masters 1000 events, you can click here.