Carlos Alcaraz surpasses Jannik Sinner on this list
What's the story
Carlos Alcaraz has climbed atop the ATP Live Race to Turin, overtaking his rival Jannik Sinner.
This happened after Alcaraz made it to the final of the 2025 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
Meanwhile, Sinner is serving a three-month suspension and is absent from this tournament.
The Spaniard's path to the final included wins over Francisco Cerundolo, Daniel Altmaier, and Arthur Fils before he met Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the semi-finals.
Journey
Alcaraz's path to the final
As mentioned, Alcaraz booked his final spot after a 7-6(2), 6-4 win over Fokina.
The win took him to the top of the ATP Race To Turin, which determines the top eight players for the iconic year-end Nitto ATP Finals.
With 2,060 live points, Alcaraz is ahead of Sinner, who has 2,000 points.
The Spaniard's Monte Carlo run has been commendable despite not being at his best all through this tournament.
Upcoming events
Can Sinner reclaim his spot?
Sinner is expected to return at the 2025 Italian Open after serving his three-month ban.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz has the opportunity to extend his lead in the ATP Race To Turin before Sinner's return.
Meanwhile, the Spaniard is set to play both the Barcelona Open and Madrid Open.
The two tournaments will be held soon after the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, giving Alcaraz more opportunities to add to his points tally.
Reflection
Alcaraz's thoughts on ranking and pressure
Alexander Zverev, the current world number two, could fall to third if Alcaraz wins the title in Monte Carlo.
However, Alcaraz has been cautious about not thinking too much about rankings and overtaking Sinner.
"A lot of people are telling me to take advantage of Jannik's absence to get back to the top. That pressure killed me, in a way," Alcaraz stated in a post-match presentation.
He also confessed to feeling some added pressure with Sinner's absence from tournaments.