After becoming only the eighth man to complete the Sunshine Double, Jannik Sinner will have his sights set on continuing his dominance on clay courts next. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz will be eager to return to form after a disappointing early exit at the Miami Open.
Sinner was crowned the Miami Open champion after he defeated Jiří Lehečka 6-4, 6-4 in the final. Alcaraz, on the other hand, was sent packing in the third round by Sebastian Korda.
Jannik Sinner’s Clay-Court Plans After Winning the Sunshine Double
With the Sunshine Double in the books, the clay-court season will now take center stage in tennis as the focus turns to the 2026 French Open. Several big events are scheduled for April and May, and the next ATP 1000 Masters tournament is already on the horizon.
Sinner has revealed that he is planning to compete in the Monte-Carlo Masters, scheduled to get underway on April 5. During his appearance on the Tennis Channel broadcast on Sunday, the Italian spoke about his plans following his Miami Open triumph.
“I’m going to jump on the plane tomorrow. I’m going to be in Monaco around lunchtime Tuesday. A couple of days off, and we’re aiming to go back on court on Thursday. The body’s going to hurt a bit because the movements are a little bit different on clay,” Sinner said.
“Then we’ll see how I’m going to feel. Usually, I’m aiming to play on Tuesday. Because if you win, you have one day off for recovery, which helps on a new surface. But I also need to see how I feel,” he added.
The European clay-court season will get underway in Monte-Carlo, where Alcaraz is the defending champion. The Spaniard is then expected to compete in Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome.
The 2026 French Open is scheduled to start on May 24. Sinner, meanwhile, has the three Masters events on his schedule before contending the Grand Slam in Paris.
Alcaraz has already started his preparations for the clay-court season. He is defending 4,300 points as the champion in Monte Carlo, Rome, and Paris, and as the runner-up in Barcelona. He holds a win percentage of 84% on clay.
MORE: Carlos Alcaraz Begins Intense Clay Training Ahead of Monte-Carlo Title Defense
Clay is certainly not Sinner’s preferred surface, with an overall win-loss record of 65-24 (73% win percentage). His only title on clay courts came at the 2022 Croatia Open, where he defeated Alcaraz in the final.
But Sinner will have his sights set on winning the French Open this year to complete his career Grand Slam. Last year, the four-time Grand Slam champion was beaten in the final by Alcaraz despite winning the first two sets.
