Carlos Alcaraz has finally set up his first meeting of 2026 with arch-rival Jannik Sinner in the final of the 2026 Monte-Carlo Masters. He is the defending champion at the tournament, while the Italian is chasing his first Masters trophy on clay. Sinner has been in fine form across the week, forcing the Spaniard to take extra measures ahead of Sunday’s showdown.
Carlos Alcaraz Dragged to the Practice Court by Coach After Monte-Carlo Masters Semifinal
For Alcaraz, the one-hour and 25-minute semifinal grind against Valentin Vacherot wasn’t enough to prep him for his highly anticipated clash against Sinner. The World No. 1 was spotted hitting some balls on the practice court just minutes after his Saturday’s match. When asked about the impromptu session, he said that his coach, Samuel Lopez, summoned him to train for the final.
“Well, to be honest, I just left the court and surprisingly I saw Samu (Lopez) over there. He told me, ‘I reserved the court for 15-20 minutes; hit some balls to be ready for tomorrow,’” he said in his press conference.
😳 Alcaraz is back practising less than an hour after his semi-final match with Vacherot pic.twitter.com/qGzvel2JuL
— Olly Tennis 🎾 🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) April 11, 2026
Alcaraz conveyed he wasn’t super pleased with his performance against Vacherot. He hit three double faults and 20 unforced errors during the 6-4, 6-4 win. “I’ve been playing in a style… for example, today I didn’t hit the ball as good as I wanted to, and a couple of serves as well. I just finished the match, not serving that well.”
The Spaniard indicated that he was satisfied with his brief practice. “It is the best thing that I could do. Playing for 20 minutes, left the court feeling great; feeling the ball great for tomorrow, so that’s why.”
Alcaraz and Sinner are gearing up for the 17th chapter in their budding rivalry. The former leads their head-to-head 10-6, while Sinner has prevailed in their most recent clash at the 2025 ATP Finals. Interestingly, the World No. 1 ranking is up for grabs on Sunday. Whoever wins the trophy leaves the tournament as the top-ranked player (Check PFSN’s exclusive interactive simulator’s Monte-Carlo final prediction).
MORE: Carlos Alcaraz Braces for Jannik Sinner Takeover – ‘I’m Gonna Lose No. 1 in the World’
Sinner is on the hunt for his fourth consecutive Masters 1000 title, having won the 2025 Paris Masters before his historic Sunshine Double campaign in March this year. The Italian has lost just one set en route to the title clash, beating Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-0, Tomáš Macháč 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-3, Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-4, and Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-4.
Alcaraz also conceded one set during his run to the final. He beat Sebastian Baez 6-1, 6-3, Tomás Martín Etcheverry 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, and Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-0, before his win against Vacherot.
