Jannik Sinner earns a staggering amount for beating Carlos Alcaraz in Monte Carlo

Jannik Sinner claimed his first clay-court Masters title on Sunday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, defeating Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(5), 6-3 in windy conditions to secure his third trophy of the 2026 season.

The Italian effectively targeted the Alcaraz backhand in the closing stages, reeling off the final five games of the second set after the Spaniard had raced into a 3-1 lead.

The victory came after a composed two-hour, 15-minute performance. The first set went to a tiebreak in which Alcaraz's double fault at set point proved decisive. In the second set momentum shifted before Sinner took control and closed it out without dropping another game.

Sinner joined Novak Djokovic (2015) as the only men to have claimed the first three ATP Masters 1000 titles of the same season.

Last month he had already become the first player since Roger Federer in 2017 to win the Sunshine Double, capturing both Indian Wells and Miami. Adding Monte Carlo to that makes his early 2026 form genuinely exceptional. He now holds a 24-2 record in 2026.

With the win Sinner also reclaimed the World No. 1 ranking. He will begin his 67th week at the top on Monday, moving one clear of Alcaraz who has held the spot for 66 weeks. It is the first time Sinner has been ranked No. 1 since the week of 3 November 2025.

Their head-to-head record now stands at 10-7 in favour of Alcaraz, with Sinner improving to 2-3 against the Spaniard on clay specifically.

Alcaraz was generous in defeat during the trophy ceremony.

"It is impressive what you are achieving right now," the Spaniard told Sinner.

"Just one man had won the Sunshine Double and Monte-Carlo and you are now the second. It is incredible."

Sinner had entered the week in dominant form at Masters level. He lost just one set across the entire tournament, to Tomas Machac, ending a historic 37-set winning streak at Masters 1000 level.

His most recent defeat at this level had been in Shanghai last October when he retired against Tallon Griekspoor.

The Italian seemed genuinely caught off guard by the scale of what he is building.

"I am surprised in a very good way and the win means a lot to me," he said.

"I still need a little bit of time to realise what happened." He credited the result to incremental daily improvements rather than any major overhaul of his game.

"Every day I woke up and tried to improve and then tried to get better as a player. Here we did day by day, trying to understand what the best game style is against every opponent, because I haven't played the same kind of tennis against everyone. We changed small, small things," Sinner said.

Alcaraz was honest about his own shortcomings.

"I think I had many opportunities in that match that I didn't take. So many games, points, so many 15/30, Love/30. I think in the first tiebreak I didn't play well and I think he just played unbelievable tennis when it mattered. I think that was the key today," the Spaniard said.

The tournament takes place at the Monte Carlo Country Club in the Principality of Monaco, with Rolex serving as title sponsor. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene attended the trophy ceremony. The total prize pool for the 2026 edition stands at €6,309,095, nearly €30,000 more than the year before.

For Sinner the financial reward is substantial. As the champion he takes home €974,370.

There is an added bonus that most players on tour do not enjoy: despite being Italian he has been based in Monaco since 2020, meaning he pays no local income tax on his winnings. Monaco does not levy personal income tax on its residents, so the full amount goes straight into his pocket.

The contrast with his previous tournament is notable. At the Miami Open last month he had to pay U.S. federal taxes on his earnings. Despite receiving $1,151,380 in prize money roughly 30%, about $345,414, was deducted, bringing his net earnings down to around $805,966. Alcaraz takes home €532,120 as runner-up.

Sinner now heads to the Madrid Masters. Alcaraz will be aiming to win his first Masters title of the year at his home event. The French Open begins on May 24 and both players arrive in the clay swing as the clear frontrunners.