Jannik Sinner is shifting his focus to the clay courts of the Monte-Carlo Masters after his triumphant campaign in the United States. The Italian is expected to participate in singles and doubles at the upcoming Masters 1000 event. Ahead of his appearance, his doubles partner, Zizou Bergs’s father shared how the partnership came about.
Jannik Sinner Picks Zizou Bergs for Monte-Carlo Masters Doubles Partnership
Sinner, who resides in Monaco, has returned home after clinching two trophies at the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open. He has decided to commence his claycourt training on Thursday, April 2.
“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 on the Tennis Channel in Miami. “Then we’ll see how I’m going to feel.”
The Italian is seeded second at the clay court event, after defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. Besides his singles participation, he plans to compete in doubles with Zizou Bergs, whom he trained with at Indian Wells. While speaking about the surprising team-up, Bergs’s father told Ubitennis that it was Sinner who made the offer.
“Zizou and Jannik played each other for the first time at the Paris Masters 1000 last year. This year they trained together in Indian Wells, and afterward, Jannik asked him to play doubles together in Monte-Carlo.”
Koen Bergs added that his son making the first move was unlikely. “Zizou would have never dared to ask Sinner, so he was quite surprised. I think Jannik likes Zizou’s attitude and personality.”
Sinner is on a historic 34-set winning streak at the Masters 1000 level, which incidentally started with his opening win against Bergs at the 2025 Paris Masters. After winning the title in Paris without dropping a single set, he extended the streak in Indian Wells, eventually surpassing Novak Djokovic’s record for 24 straight sets won at the level in Miami.
About the 24-year-old’s back-to-back titles in March potentially influencing his doubles appearance, Bergs’s father said, “We know it’ll be Jannik’s decision whether or not to actually play doubles. He just won the Sunshine Double, so he might want to rest a bit. On the other hand, he could gain a lot of points, given that he didn’t participate last year. Let’s wait and see. There’s still time to see what he decides.”
MORE: Jannik Sinner Shuns No. 1 Ranking Pressure Despite Threatening Carlos Alcaraz’s Lead
Sinner was unable to compete at the Monte-Carlo Masters last year due to his three-month ban. The four-time Grand Slam champion thus has no points to defend at the 2026 event. With Alcaraz defending 1000 points as the reigning champion, the Italian has the opportunity to regain his World No. 1 spot. The duo presently have 13,590 and 12,400 points, respectively.
