Alcaraz, Sinner and Norrie headline Monte-Carlo Masters clay season opener
The Monte-Carlo Masters marks the return of top-level tennis to clay, with leading names including Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Cameron Norrie headlining the 2026 tournament.
Seven of the world’s top 10 players are set to compete at the event, which takes place at the Monte-Carlo Country Club. However, several notable names will be absent, including Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Jack Draper.
Defending champion Alcaraz enters the tournament after winning his first Monte-Carlo title last year. He defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the final, recovering from a set down to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-0.
The Spaniard remains world number one and currently holds a lead of 1,190 ranking points over Sinner. However, the gap has narrowed following Sinner’s recent performances.
The Italian arrives in strong form after securing victories at Indian Wells and Miami, completing what has been described as the “Sunshine Double” without dropping a set. His recent success has brought him closer to Alcaraz in the rankings race.
As the clay-court season begins, both players face different challenges in defending ranking points. Alcaraz has 4,300 points to defend across the European clay swing, while Sinner has significantly fewer points to protect, with none due until the Rome tournament in May.
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The tournament also features British interest through Cameron Norrie, who is the only Briton competing in the singles draw following Draper’s withdrawal.
Norrie regained his status as British number one after reaching the quarter-finals at Indian Wells. He will aim to carry that form into the clay season, where he has previously achieved notable results.
Last year, he reached the fourth round at the French Open and the semi-finals of the Geneva Open. He also has experience of winning on clay, having claimed the Rio Open title in 2023.
The Monte-Carlo Country Club, located in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, provides one of the most scenic settings on the tennis calendar. Established in 1928, the venue is a regular highlight of the clay-court season.
A total of 56 players will compete in the singles draw, with the top eight seeds receiving byes into the second round. The structure ensures that the highest-ranked players enter the competition at a later stage.
The tournament begins on Sunday, 5 April and runs through to Sunday, 12 April. Matches are scheduled to start at 10 am UK time.
The first round is set to start on Monday, 6 April, followed by the second round on Tuesday, 7 April. The quarter-finals will take place on Friday, 10 April, with the semi-finals scheduled for Saturday, 11 April.
The competition will conclude on Sunday, 12 April, when both the singles and doubles finals will be held.
The event marks the first of three ATP Masters 1000 tournaments on clay this season and serves as a key stage in the build-up to the French Open.
With leading players in form and the transition to clay underway, the Monte-Carlo Masters sets the stage for the next phase of the tennis calendar.