Sinner matches Djokovic to set up Monte Carlo final showdown with Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner made it to his first Monte Carlo Masters final by beating world number three Alexander Zverev. By doing this, he joined Novak Djokovic as one of the few players to reach this stage. On Saturday (April 11), Sinner won 6–1, 6–4 and will now face world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Alcaraz got there by beating Valentin Vacherot 6–4, 6–4 in his semi-final.
If Sinner wins tomorrow (April 12), he will move ahead of the 22-year-old Alcaraz in the world rankings. But if Alcaraz wins, he’ll keep his top spot. The winner will get €974,370, while the runner-up will receive €532,120.
Even though the final is still ahead, Sinner has already made history by becoming only the fourth man to reach the final in the first three Masters 1000 events in one season, joining legends Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic. He also won the Paris Masters last November, making it four Masters 1000 finals in a row.
In March, Sinner won both the Indian Wells and Miami Open tournaments without losing a set—this is known as the ‘Sunshine Double.’ He also matched a rare achievement by winning his first 16 Masters 1000 matches in a season, something only Djokovic has done before.
Sinner has won 42 of the last 43 sets he played at Masters events and reached his 12th Masters final, though tomorrow’s will only be his second on clay.
“I’m very happy,” Sinner said after reaching the final. “We came here to see how I would do on clay, and now being in the final means a lot to me. Every match is different, and I felt solid from the start today. Getting an early break changed the match, so I’m happy. Let’s see what happens in the final.”
Before the tournament, Sinner said winning trophies was more important to him than being number one in the world.
“I know the situation and what’s at stake, but one tournament won’t decide who’s No. 1 or No. 2,” he told the ATP. “This is a tournament I love to play, and I’m glad to be here. I’ll try to win as many matches as I can, but there are more tournaments coming up. As a top player, the goal is to win trophies. Points come second, in a way.”