Carlos Alcaraz is back and how! Last month, he failed to pull off a three-peat in Indian Wells and then crashed out in the opening match of the Miami Open. But the four-time Slam winner didn’t take long to regain his dominating form as the clay season got underway. The former World No.1 bested Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti on Sunday and clinched his maiden Monte Carlo Masters trophy. As expected, the congratulatory messages poured in for Alcaraz from all quarters. But the most special one came from none other than his idol and 11-time Monte Carlo champ himself – Rafael Nadal.
For the unversed, Alcaraz was trailing against Musetti initially in the first set of the Monte Carlo final, as the Italian took it 6-3. But then it all turned into ‘the Carlos Alcaraz show’ in The Principality. The Spaniard dominated the next two sets with a breadstick and a bagel, sealing the match 6-3, 6-1, 6-0. While Musetti was outskilled by Alcaraz, a leg injury that surfaced after the first set didn’t help either.
Alcaraz has won the Monte Carlo only for the first time, in his second appearance in the event after 2022, where he had crashed out in the Round of 32. After the stunning victory on Sunday, he’s hoping to win in The Principality “more than once.”
“Thinking about 11 is impossible, honestly,” he added, referring to his idol Rafael Nadal. During his two-decade professional career, the 14-time Roland Garros champion succeeded in winning eleven Monte Carlo trophies as well. And guess what? The record holder himself came forward to shower praising words on Alcaraz’s phenomenal campaign. On X, he wrote, “Congratulations @carlosalcaraz! Congratulations on 🏆 in such a special place 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻”
Apart from Nadal, however, other notable tennis figures also expressed their admiration for Alcaraz’s stunning win. The 7-time Slam champion Patrick McEnroe took to X to write, “Carlos is ba,ck Huge title @ROLEXMCMASTERS”
Not only him, but Alcaraz’s good friend and Real Madrid soccer star Vinícius Junior also lauded his milestone. On IG, he commented with clapping emojis, admiring the 21-year-old’s massive accomplishment, and why not. After all, Carlitos is the first Spanish ATP player to win the Monte Carlo Masters since Nadal lifted the trophy back in 2018. Overall, it’s his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title,
But hey, there’s more! Alcaraz has also witnessed a jump in the ATP rankings after his dream run in The Principality.
Carlos Alcaraz becomes No.2 again after Monte Carlo triumph
Following his emphatic win over Musetti, Carlos Alcaraz said that he’s not thinking about rankings anymore. Instead, his only goal is to enjoy his time on the court and play his best tennis, rather than thinking about the results too much. “Something that I realised that I had to do is not think about anything else but enjoying. So I’m not thinking about the ranking anymore,” he said.
Continuing further, he added, “If I win, it is great. If I don’t win, I will learn and just keep going and making the things that make me happy.”
While Carlos might not be thinking about ranking, it’s taking care of itself. After the Monte Carlo glory, Alcaraz has made a stellar jump. The former World No.1, who had slipped to No.3 in the list a while ago, has now returned to the second spot. His title victory earned him 1,000 ranking points, thus pushing his overall total to 7,720 from 6,720. Yes, Jannik Sinner is still holding the first position, but Alcaraz is now breathing down his neck. Alexander Zverev, in the meantime, has slipped to the third position. He’s now got his points reduced to 7,595 from 7,645 following a R32 exit in Monte Carlo.
As he didn’t make an appearance at Monte Carlo, Jannik Sinner lost points he earned at the tournament last season when he reached the semifinal round. From 10,330, his ranking points have now come down to 9,930. With Alcaraz adding 1,000 to his tally as well, the gap has closed even further. However, still, there’s a difference of 2,210 points between Sinner and Alcaraz.
While Alcaraz can’t reach No.1 before the Roland Garros, he can reduce the gap further. If he wins his next event in Barcelona and then Madrid, Alcaraz will get an additional 720 points. If he enters the French Open with two more title triumphs to his name, Alcaraz will have a golden chance to reclaim the top position in the rankings at Roland Garros. Are you backing Carlitos to become the ATP No.1 again?
