Alcaraz resigned to losing top ranking to Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz won his opening second-round match at the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday, with the Spaniard freely admitting that he is braced to lose the top ATP ranking.

Alcaraz began his spring clay season 6-1, 6-3 over Sebastian Baez, holding the Argentine to a mere four winners while finding 19 himself.

The Spaniard is duelling with rival Jannik Sinner, who earlier lost just three games against Ugo Humbert.

But while Sinner did not pay here a year ago due to a disciplinary ban appeal, Alcaraz is defending cay winner’s points in the principality, Rome and Roland Garros.

With his rival currently burning up the courts, Alcaraz knows his time at the top is counting down.

“To be honest, I know I’m gonna lose the No. 1 ranking,” he said. “I’m defending really a lot of points. 

And Jannik will add to his total as he has none to defend (until Rome in May). I will try to play my best of course.

“But No. 1 is not in my mind right now. I just want to feel the best I can on clay… let’s see how the clay swing goes.”

Alcaraz said that his looming challenge cannot dilute his love of the surface. “it’s been almost a year off of clay – I missed it.

“It’s time to get dirty again. Today was a really good start for me. I’m happy with what I did.

“There are a couple of things to improve and I let him back a bit in the second set, but overall I’m happy.

“I actually thought I would play worse than I did.”

 Alcaraz won his sixth match in a row at the Country Club venue and has now claimed 14 straight on the dirt.