FINALLY

The first Sinner/Alcaraz match was expected in 2026, and what better place than in this prestigious Monte-Carlo tournament?

Sinner came here to find his bearings and build up his level, now he’s in the final but at the same time he has a margin over 98% of the tour so he doesn’t even need to be at his best. Because yeah, I actually found him pretty sluggish at the start of the tournament despite the straightforward scorelines. I’m tough on him but it’s because he always sets the bar high. In the end he just put Zverev to bed very easily in the semis, that’s not nothing, but you also have to say that Z wasn’t playing well this week. Mixed impression from Sinner’s side, just like with Alcaraz I think, the Spaniard seemed super nervous all week and we didn’t really feel he was dominant either. I think both of them need time to play their best tennis on clay, but they’re so much better than the rest of the tour that it’s enough anyway.

On clay it’s Alcaraz who’s in charge, 4–1 for the Spaniard but all tight matches, and yeah I still feel he’s a bit better than the Italian on the dirt. His court coverage is exceptional and he’s kind of forced to loop his shots a bit more; the surface ‘calms’ him down. This week it wasn’t vintage Carlito yet, but we know he systematically plays his best tennis against Sinner, he trains and stays motivated for that reason, so I think there’s a good chance he’ll produce a huge match tomorrow.

For Sinner it’s trickier; let’s say that his peak level on clay is below Alcaraz’s for me, but that his consistency is super important too, he doesn’t give away points and we know Alcaraz can wind himself up, especially when he’s not finding his game. If I add things up I’d say Carlito is stronger physically if we get a 3-hour match, and I’d also say that naturally his game is more suited to clay than Sinner’s. For the Italian, it’s his mentality/his discipline that could make the difference tomorrow.