Article by Luminița Paul – Published Monday, April 13, 2026, 9:17 p.m. / Updated Monday, April 13, 2026, 9:18 p.m.
ATP number 2 Carlos Alcaraz will play in the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona next week. Should he win the title, he will regain the top position in the world rankings, with Jannik Sinner, the current leader, taking a break these days.
On Sunday, April 12, he lost in the Monte Carlo final to Jannik Sinner, unable to defend the title he won last year. It was another stage of the rivalry between the two, which grows month by month in consistency, quality, but also numerically.
a day after Carlos Alcaraz was already in Spain, participating in the meeting with journalists before the start of the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona – contest which he won in 2022 and 2023, last year playing in the final.
The Iberian lost the top spot in the ATP ranking to Sinner, but he can regain it if he wins the title again at Conde de Godo. That's also because the Italian is resting this week, coming off a strong streak: three Masters 1000 titles won, Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo.
Carlos Alcaraz: “It probably represents an extra motivation”
“The truth is that I saw, I have to win the tournament and, yes, I want to regain the first place,” he said in the press conference. “I think the battle we have for the first position is very nice and probably represents an extra motivation. On the other hand, my focus is on trying to follow the path we are on, to keep improving“, he explained.
“The things we want to do, to put into practice in training and in matches, are very clear, even more so after yesterday's defeat,” he emphasized, referring to himself and his team. “So for me that's the main goal.”
Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo 2026 final Photo: Guliver/GettyImages
Alcaraz sticks to the idea of playing all the major clay tournaments from 2026, something he had proposed last year as well. He did not succeed due to the injury he suffered in the final from Barcelonahaving to be absent from Madrid.
I want to take things day by day without anticipating anything. I don't know what will happen, if I reach the final or lose in the first round. I have to listen to my body, the team, who knows me, and make the best decision possible. For now I hope to finish the entire slag season – Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz: “Sometimes you burst out of nowhere”
Carlos had a great start to the year with his first Australian Open title, followed by another trophy in Doha on the ATP 500. Fatigue really caught up with him in Miami, where he let his emotions run wild with an early exit.
“Finally, one of the most complicated things is controlling your own emotions. Sometimes you burst out of nowhere and say things you often don't even think. Then you realize the gravity the words have out there on the field“, elaborated the Spaniard.
“It happens that in some games I get a little mentally fed up with what's happening off the field. In tough matches you have to be mentally resilient, but there are times when it's very difficult for you to do that,” he admitted, adding that after Miami he rested to get back in better shape.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz with the Monte Carlo 2026 trophies Photo: Imago Images
When asked about his rivalry with Sinner, he said that this is the player who makes him better and realize his weaknesses. As for their relationship, he analyzed it honestly: “She is very good. It's not personal, we're not going to have dinner together, but off the field we get along well. (…) Regardless of what happens on the field, our way of being will not change. This shows the respect we have for each other”, concluded Alcaraz, who will debut in Barcelona on Tuesday, against the Finn Otto Virtanennumber 130 ATP.
