Jannik Sinner may face his biggest test in Monte Carlo after intriguing draw
He has been the stand-out player in men’s tennis in 2024, but the rest of the field will be hoping Jannik Sinner’s winning machine will break down when he gets on clay courts.
Sinner ended last year on a roll as he beat Novak Djokovic in a thrilling ATP Finals match and then led Italy to Davis Cup glory in Malaga with another win against Djokovic.
The Italian backed up those impressive displays by winning a first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and also lifting titles in Rotterdam and Miami this year.
Carlos Alcaraz is the only player to record a win against Sinner this year and the convincing manner of his win in Miami fuelled the belief that he is the next world No 1.
The 22-year-old could knock Djokovic off the world No 1 spot over the course of this upcoming clay court season, but he is heading into the Monte Carlo Masters next week with big questions to answer.
He has been responsible for asking some of those questions as Sinner admits he needs to improve his form on clay courts after a low key start to his career on the surface.
Sinner’s best performances at the French Open came with runs to the fourth round in 2021 and 2022, but he was knocked out in the second round of the clay court Grand Slam last year.
His best display in a clay court ATP 1000 event came with a run to the semi-finals in Monte Carlo last year, with Hoger Rune beating him in a tight last-four encounter.
Now he is returning to the first clay court Masters event of the year looking to win a first clay court title, but he admits he is arriving with doubts in his mind.
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“You don’t have so much time to adapt, because Monaco, I guess we start to practice Thursday the first time. So not even one week to get used to the clay,” he said after winning the Miami Open title.
“I always struggled in Madrid. I feel better in Rome. I hope I will be able to play in Paris.
“For me, it’s going to be an important week because mentally I have to be ready to change something right from the start since I can’t play like I did on hard-court. I am glad to go back to clay because I feel like it makes me a better player.
“There are always some strange results usually in Monaco, so let’s see what’s coming this year.
“For sure, the main goal is Roland Garros, yes, but trying to work slowly into this tournament and trying to play it in the best possible way. Before I have Rome, for me, especially is a really, really important tournament. You know, playing with the home crowd, it’s always amazing.
“Look, I have the feeling that I have learned many things from last year what I can do better. Physically I’m in a different shape than I was last year, which the clay is a lot physical. Then we’ll see how it goes.”
There is no doubt that the Sinner arriving in Monte Carlo this year is a very different beast compared to the model of April 2023.
His redesigned service motion will give him more free points on clay courts than ever before and crucially, the confidence he has gained over the last few months has put him in a very different place mentally.
As the No 2 seed, he has landed in the bottom half of a draw that has positioned world No 1 Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz in the top half, meaning Sinner can’t meet either until the final.
Sinner will face either Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Sebastian Korda in his opening match in Monte-Carlo, with the in-form Grigor Dimitorv a potential third-round opponent.
Yet every challenger looks at Sinner in a different light now and if he converts his form on hard courts onto the clay, he may not have to wait long to become Italy’s first world No 1.
