Carlos Alcaraz has arrived in Monaco ahead of the 2026 Monte-Carlo Masters. The Spaniard is defending not only his title but also his World No. 1 spot at the tournament. On Saturday, April 4, he reached the tournament venue after an extensive training block at his hometown.
Carlos Alcaraz Receives a Warm Welcome at the Monte-Carlo Masters
Alcaraz had a forgettable Sunshine Double run, reaching the semifinal in Indian Wells and facing a third-round exit in Miami. Shortly after, he returned to his home country and began his clay preparations in Murcia.
While several tennis players, including Jannik Sinner, arrived early at the Monte-Carlo Masters venue to get accustomed to the conditions, the Spaniard decided against it. He instead invited Miami Open breakout star Martin Landalunce for a few training sessions in Spain ahead of his debut on the surface.
After his late arrival on Saturday, Alcaraz was greeted by a host of admirers awaiting his autograph. The 22-year-old debuted a new haircut and got the ball rolling at the tournament grounds after briefly acknowledging his fans. As the top seed at the Masters 1000 event, he’s received a bye in the first round. He begins his campaign in the round of 32 against either Stan Wawrinka or Sebastian Baez.
View this post on Instagram
Unsurprisingly, Alcaraz chose Wawrinka as his first training partner ahead of the latter’s opening match on Sunday. Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, is preparing for his final appearance at the Monte-Carlo Masters, with a plan to retire at the end of the season.
View this post on Instagram
Carlos Alcaraz’s World No. 1 Spot at Risk As Jannik Sinner Chases Maiden Monte-Carlo Masters Title
Across the clay season, Alcaraz has 4,330 points to defend, courtesy of his French Open victory, Masters 1000 wins in Monte-Carlo and Rome, and a runner-up finish in Barcelona. He intends to contest all tournaments, including the Madrid Open, which he skipped in 2025.
MORE: Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and More Players Arrive at Monte-Carlo Masters
During a recent interview with Eurosport Espana, the player’s coach, Samuel Lopez, said, “Monte-Carlo – if things had gone well in Miami, we would probably have skipped it. But in this case, well, Monte-Carlo is going to be more of a preparation tournament.
“You already know that sometimes those preparation tournaments… you get up to speed very quickly. But for us, Monte-Carlo is more like last year. Things worked out, and, in the end, (he) won. But in the end, going to the first clay tournament and winning it, well, for almost everyone it’s the first clay tournament, so almost everyone is in the same condition.”
The Spaniard presently leads Sinner by 1,190 points. He is, however, defending 1000 points as the reigning champion. Meanwhile, the Italian, who was absent last year, has no points to defend at the tournament. They will thus start the tournament with a gap of just 190 points.
