ANALYSIS : After the victory in Monte Carlo, is Carlos Alcaraz the player to beat this season on clay?
ATPMonday, 14 April 2025 at 10:43
The recent crowning of Carlos Alcaraz as the new Monte Carlo Masters 1000 champion marks a significant milestone in the young star's career and confirms his status as the man to beat on clay;
Carlos Alcaraz won his first title in the traditional Masters that marks the beginning of the season on clay. In the final he defeated the Italian Lorenzo Musetti by 3-6, 6-1 and 6-0, showing a great capacity of recovery against the Italian who unfortunately played part of the match with discomfort in one of his legs.
This victory represents his most outstanding success since he was crowned champion of the China Open beating the world number 1, Jannik Sinner, in the final. Precisely, in the absence of the Italian and taking into account the results of both players on clay, today it could be said that the player from Murcia is the number 1 on that surface.
Alcaraz, current Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion, has been the kryptonite for a Sinner who has won everything he has played where he has not had to cross paths with the talented Spaniard. The victory in Monte Carlo also brings him closer to the Italian in the ranking, since thanks to the points won he will displace Alexander Zverev as number 2 in the world ranking.
Alcaraz's smile in Monte Carlo.
A turning point
Winning in the Principality surely has a special flavor for Alcaraz, not only because it is the first edition in which the former No. 1 manages to win more than one match, but also because the trophy serves to silence the external -and also internal- criticism, which was beginning to sound louder as a result of his irregular performance in the first quarter of the year. In the 2025 season, Carlitos had only been able to win in Rotterdam, defeating Alex de Miñaur in the final;
However, on his U.S. tour things did not go as he had hoped: in Indian Wells he was unable to defend his title, falling in the semifinals to Jack Draper. At the Miami Open things would get murkier, with Alcaraz going home in the first round, losing to Belgian David Goffin.
The arrival of the slow court season appeared as a revitalizing balm for the former No. 1, who made it clear once again that if he is well it is almost impossible to beat him on clay.
The best in spring
Alcaraz's numbers during the clay court tour are truly magnificent for a tennis player who is only 21 years old: 86 wins, 18 losses and 9 titles so far. Since 2021, he has managed to win a trophy on this surface every year and without distinction of category: ATP 250, ATP 500, Masters 1000 and above all, Roland Garros.
These numbers reflect a clear dominance of the Murcian, consolidating him as a formidable specialist. His explosiveness, his ability to win spectacular points and the way he uses his wrist to break his opponent with his drop shots make him an almost invincible opponent.
In addition, Alcaraz possesses a combative mentality ideal for clay, where patience and the ability to suffer are as important qualities as the strokes: “Talking about myself, I’m just really happy to win Monte Carlo for the first time. I think it has been a really difficult week with a lot of difficult situations that I am really proud of myself how I dealt with everything.
“It has been a really difficult month for me outside, on the court, so coming here and seeing like the hard work paid off, I’m just really, really happy.”
His exceptional physical condition allows him to maintain a high pace for hours, something fundamental on a surface that lengthens the points and demands endurance.
Even Alcaraz himself seems aware of the importance of this moment for his season, declaring after his victory in Monte Carlo that he needed to keep a positive mindset. This combative and resilient mentality is precisely what makes Alcaraz such a fearsome competitor on the most mentally and physically demanding surface for tennis players.
The rivalry with Sinner and the unknown about the return of the current number 1.
The comparison between Alcaraz and Sinner has become inevitable when analyzing the current tennis scene. The Europeans shared the 4 Grand Slams last season, with the Italian being the clear dominator on fast courts winning the Australian Open and the US Open; while the Spaniard prevailed at Roland Garros and won his second Wimbledon trophy.
This rivalry had its last outstanding chapter in Beijing, although it could well be renewed with a new confrontation on clay once Sinner concludes the suspension imposed by WADA;
Alcaraz holds a 6-4 head-to-head advantage between the two, having defeated the No. 1 on all three occasions they met in 2024.
In clay the stars have met on three occasions:
- Last year, on his way to his first title in Paris, Carlitos crossed paths with Sinner in the semifinals of the tournament, defeating him in an incredible 5-set match by 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 and 6-3.
- In 2022 Sinner defeated Alcaraz in the final of the Umag tournament by 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-1.
- Much further back in time, Alcaraz would be the winner in the first round of the Alicante Tournament, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Carlitos next to the Roland Garros trophy.
As can be seen, the advantage in general and also the advantage on clay is on the Murcian's side, although none of this would allow to rule out Sinner. His return is getting closer and closer, although it remains to be seen if the 90 days of inactivity will have had any effect on his game. Jannik is expected to return to play the Rome Masters in front of his home crowd. It will be his only preparation tournament prior to Roland Garros.
Although Sinner is among the great favorites to shine on this tour, his style of play does not adapt as naturally as Alcaraz's to the particularities of clay. The No. 1 plays a tennis based on precision and power, characteristics that can be slightly neutralized on a surface that slows down the balls and favors prolonged exchanges.
Zverev and the search for his best version of himself
Completing the top 3 is German Alexander Zverev, finalist of the last edition of Roland Garros and one of the best clay-court players on Tour;
Sascha has been going through a "crisis" in recent months, precisely after losing to Sinner in Australia. The number 3 has lost consistency but perhaps it will be the clay court itself who will come to his rescue, as the German has no less than 7 titles on that surface. Even so, the Murcian is 3-1 ahead of him on clay.
Alcaraz's victory in Monte Carlo not only adds one more trophy to his growing collection, but also sets a precedent for the clay court season that is just beginning and where the Spaniard seems destined to dominate. Carlitos seems to have taken over as the new king of the surface after the retirement of his great idol, Rafa Nadal.
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