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Sinner Leaves Alcaraz in Despair Despite His Absence from the Court

Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz admitted that his attempts to snatch the No.1 spot in the ATP rankings from Italy’s Jannik Sinner have negatively affected his form this season.

The 21-year-old said during a press conference held on the sidelines of the Monte Carlo Masters: “A lot of people ask me, or tell me, that I have a chance to become the No.1 because Jannik (Sinner) is not playing” (due to a three-month suspension for testing positive for a banned substance), adding: “That pressure probably killed me in a way.”

He continued, saying that remaining in third place in the world rankings “did not surprise me. People always say that we have to win tournaments, or that top players should always be reaching finals or winning tournaments” in order to improve their ranking.

Alcaraz has had a rough start to the season, winning just one title so far, which came on hard courts (despite being a clay-court specialist) at the Rotterdam Open two months ago.

The two-time Madrid Masters champion and reigning Roland Garros titleholder is now hoping that the Monte Carlo Masters will mark a turning point in his season, as it kicks off the clay-court swing—a part of the year where he’s historically thrived.

Alcaraz is expected to benefit from Sinner’s absence, which began in February and will last until May 4, to narrow the points gap between them in the ATP rankings. The Italian had pulled far ahead after racking up 21 straight wins, a feat not achieved since Novak Djokovic did it two years ago.

After reaching a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for twice testing positive for the banned substance Clostebol, Sinner is missing key tournaments, including Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid. He is expected to return at the Italian Open in Rome, which starts the day after his suspension ends and will serve as preparation for Roland Garros, scheduled from May 26 to June 2.

Despite being trailed by both Germany’s Alexander Zverev and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner will return to the court still holding the No.1 spot thanks to his significant lead in the ATP rankings.

Alcaraz, who currently trails Sinner by 3,610 points, has come to terms with the fact that he likely won’t be able to dethrone the Italian anytime soon. He said: “I’m only thinking about the fact that I won’t be able to become world No.1 during the clay season. Even if Jannik isn’t playing, the chance just isn’t there for me.” He added: “I think I’m too far behind Jannik, so I realize I don’t need to think about it here (in Monte Carlo). All I need to do is go out there and play. That’s my mindset now.”

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