Alcaraz: "I'm sure that this year Sinner will be even better on clay courts"

Pedro de Pablos | 7 Apr 2026 | 16.30

Alcaraz: "I am sure that this year Sinner will be even better on clay courts"

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Carlos Alcaraz has started his journey at the Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo 2026 on the right foot, with a comfortable victory against Sebastián Báez. The world number one is defending a large number of points on the clay court circuit, including the title he won last year in Monaco, and he was more than satisfied with his level, also talking about Jannik Sinner and their battle for the number one ranking.

Sinner is on the verge of snatching the ATP throne from Alcaraz in Monte Carlo, and the Spanish tennis player assumed in the press conference after his victory that he expects to find a Jannik even better than last year on the clay court circuit, where he defeated him in the finals of the Masters 1000 in Rome and Roland Garros. He even predicted some interesting upcoming weeks for both of them, where they could face each other several times.

Full press conference of Carlos Alcaraz at the Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo

Victory against Báez

Well, it was great. I missed playing on clay, so I am very happy to be able to play again on this surface. Even better, the way I did it. I think I played wonderfully, and it was a great start to the tournament. I surprised myself (laughs). The first match of every tournament is never easy. It is always complicated with everything you have on your mind. It is even more difficult when it's a different surface and considering that my last match on clay was almost a year ago. I thought I would feel a little worse in general, but yes, I was surprised by the movement, how I hit the ball, how I felt on the court. I am very, very happy. I hope to feel the same in the next round or just improve each day.

The 'trap' of playing against an injured player

Yes, it's like, yes, when that happens, you feel that the match or the next point is not as important, I would say. I don't know how to explain it, but you feel like you're thinking more about the opponent than yourself, than the things you have to do. That's why it becomes a bit complicated when you're playing or in that situation, when you think about the opponent or something like that. They are injured or in pain, and yet they play wonderfully and keep playing well. I feel like I don't know what to do. And you start playing not to miss the ball rather than to take risks. I would say that is where it becomes a bit complicated.

Sinner's improvement on clay

Well, I know Jannik, and we all could see that he always comes back even stronger and better when he loses matches. I am pretty sure that he is remembering the tournaments he played on clay last year, and I am sure that this year he will be even better. So I have to be ready. I would say he feels more comfortable on hard courts, and I feel more comfortable on clay since I have played on clay all my life. Let's see how it goes. He has a hunger for victory on clay and I would say in the other tournaments, or the ones that are missing in his list of achievements. So we will see what happens, but surely, for him and for me, the upcoming clay court season is quite interesting.

Why I thought Sinner wouldn't play in Monte Carlo

No, no, I mean, I think about many things in advance, like guessing which tournaments the players will play. Obviously, he was successful in Indian Wells, Miami, many matches, a long tour. And from the last day in Miami to the first day here, it's like a week, I would say. So when you are coming from a time zone difference, a different surface, everything different, different balls. It's complicated when you don't have as much time to prepare for another surface, another type of game, another tournament, another environment, I would say.

But, you know, it depends on him. Obviously, it is the decision of each player to go to one tournament or another. So if he decides to come here, it means he feels good physically, feels good mentally, and is thrilled to come. I was surprised because he had many matches last month, playing on hard courts and without much time to rest and prepare for clay. Still, he is playing doubles, and today he played wonderfully. That shows what a great player he is, because he adapts very well in such a short time to different surfaces.

Harder for Sinner on clay or for Alcaraz on hard courts

I would say it is easier to transition from clay courts to hard courts. I would say it is easier because the movement is, let's say, easier or it is easier to understand the game on hard courts than on clay. On clay, you need more time to see how the ball comes, how it bounces, everything, to move, to cut... I would say we cut on any surface, just like on clay, but the movement is quite different and how you feel on the court. I say this in terms of having, let's say, two or three days of adjustment.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz: "Estoy seguro que este año Sinner será aún mejor en tierra batida"

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