Novak Djokovic is set to begin his 381st week as the world’s no. 1 tennis player on Monday. Despite missing Indian Wells and Miami due to his vaccination status, he will compete in Monte Carlo as the top-ranked player. Carlos Alcaraz briefly held the number one spot after winning the Indian Wells Masters 1000, but he had to defend his Miami Open title to maintain his lead over Djokovic. Unfortunately, he lost in the semifinals to Jannik Sinner after three hours of intense play, causing him to relinquish the top spot to Djokovic.
If Djokovic and Alcaraz meet in the Monte Carlo title clash, they will battle for the top spot in men’s tennis. Last season, Alcaraz became the youngest year-end number one player in ATP history, but Djokovic regained the top spot after winning his tenth Australian Open title.
Although Alcaraz played well in his first four matches at the Miami Open, winning in straight sets, he could not keep up with Sinner in the semifinals. He had several chances to win but lost six service games and missed several opportunities to break Sinner’s serve. Sinner dominated the shorter points, hitting almost 40 service winners and taking control of the match with his first groundstroke. Despite coming from behind in the first set and leading in the second, Alcaraz was unable to maintain his momentum and eventually lost the match.