Sinner Aims for Rare Monte-Carlo Feat with Gilbert's Backing Over Alcaraz

Renowned coach Brad Gilbert believes Jannik Sinner can capture the Monte-Carlo title and complete a historic Miami-Monte Carlo double.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 6:09am

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A cubist-style painting depicting a tennis match between two players, with the figures and court broken down into sharp, geometric shapes and planes of color, conveying the intensity and energy of their rivalry.The anticipated clash between rising stars Sinner and Alcaraz could produce a historic result in Monte-Carlo.Indian Wells Today

As the 2026 clay season heats up in Monte Carlo, renowned coach and analyst Brad Gilbert has weighed in on the sport's most anticipated rivalry, backing Jannik Sinner to edge Carlos Alcaraz and capture the Monte-Carlo title. Gilbert pointed to Sinner's red-hot form, which includes titles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Miami Open, and floated the idea of a historic Miami-Monte Carlo double, something achieved only once before in men's tennis by Novak Djokovic.

Why it matters

Sinner and Alcaraz have emerged as two of the brightest young stars in men's tennis, with their growing rivalry captivating fans. Gilbert's backing of Sinner to complete the rare Miami-Monte Carlo double adds further intrigue to their anticipated clash, as they have yet to meet this season despite sharing the titles across the first four tournaments.

The details

Sinner has surged into the clay swing on the back of a dominant Sunshine Double, while Alcaraz has had a less stable run, falling in the Indian Wells semifinal and exiting earlier than expected in Miami. Despite their growing rivalry, the Spaniard and the Italian have yet to meet this year, even after sharing the titles across the first four tournaments of the season.

  • Sinner moved past Ugo Humbert, 6-3, 6-3, to reach the third round of the Monte-Carlo Masters.
  • Alcaraz began his Monte-Carlo campaign strongly with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Sebastian Baez.

The players

Jannik Sinner

An Italian tennis star who has surged into the clay swing on the back of a dominant Sunshine Double, winning titles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Miami Open.

Carlos Alcaraz

The Spanish tennis player and defending champion of the Monte-Carlo Masters, who has had a less stable run leading up to the tournament, falling in the Indian Wells semifinal and exiting earlier than expected in Miami.

Brad Gilbert

A renowned coach and analyst who has weighed in on the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry, backing Sinner to edge Alcaraz and capture the Monte-Carlo title.

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What they’re saying

“We've had four tournaments this year where Sinner and Alcaraz have played. All four tournaments have been won by them, but probably the biggest upset of the tour, if you'd have told me, I would have thought they would have played two or three times already. They've played nil.”

— Brad Gilbert, Coach and Analyst

“The hardest double in tennis, it's only happened once. They talk about the Sunshine Double, but only once in the history of tennis has a player won Miami and Monte Carlo back-to-back. That was Novak Djokovic. I'm seeing Sinner doing it, becoming the second.”

— Brad Gilbert, Coach and Analyst

What’s next

Sinner and Alcaraz are set to face off in the third round of the Monte-Carlo Masters, with the winner potentially going on to capture the title and complete the rare Miami-Monte Carlo double.

The takeaway

The highly anticipated clash between rising stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has yet to materialize this season, but their potential meeting in Monte-Carlo has added significance as Sinner aims to become only the second player in history to win the Miami and Monte-Carlo titles back-to-back.