Former and current top athletes from several sports arrived at Court Rainier II to witness the Monte-Carlo Masters final, a mouth-watering spectacle between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on Sunday.
Two-time Olympic champion Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis and his wife Desire Inglander posed in front of the cameras. Mercedes driver and the 2026 Australian Grand Prix winner, George Russell, was spotted in the stands watching the matchup with a smile on his face.
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Russell’s rival from Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, and his fiancée, Alexandra Saint Mleux, were also seen entering the venue.
From the world of tennis, former Swedish tennis player and six-time Grand Slam champion Stefan Edberg was seen enjoying the final in the stands. Former Italian icon and 1976 French Open winner Adriano Panatta also turned up at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Jannik Sinner stormed into the final with a commanding 6-1, 6-4 victory over Alexander Zverev. On the other hand, the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz notched a routine 6-4, 6-4 win over Valentin Vacherot to set up his 17th encounter against the Italian.
Jannik Sinner expresses his delight after reclaiming the World No. 1 ranking
In the pulsating final, Jannik Sinner overcame his arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz to end his four-year-long title drought on clay and took back the World No. 1 ranking. In a closely fought first set, Sinner narrowly took the opener with a 7-6(5) win. In the second, he appeared in control and comfortably notched a 6-3 win in windy conditions.
For Sinner, regaining the World No. 1 ranking meant a lot to him. Along with this, the Italian also explained the significance of his first title at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
“We came here trying to get as many matches as possible, getting good feedback before other big tournaments coming up. Today was a high level from both of us. It was a bit windy, a bit breezy. Different conditions from what the tournament has brought. The result is amazing. Getting back to No. 1 means a lot for me… I am very happy to win a big title on this surface. I haven’t done it before and it means a lot to me,” Jannik Sinner said in his on-court interview.
Alcaraz was impressed with Jannik Sinner’s feat in Moncao after a historic Sunshine Double, i.e., standing triumphant at the Indian Wells and Miami Open. Before Sinner, Novak Djokovic was the only player to accomplish the Sunshine Double and claim the Monte-Carlo Masters. With his latest coup, Jannik Sinner became just the second in history to cement his place in the record book.
“It is impressive what you are achieving right now. Just one man had won the ‘Sunshine Double’ and Monte-Carlo and you are now the second. It is something incredible and I just experienced how difficult it is. Congratulations for everything and the work you are doing with your team,” Alcaraz said to Sinner during the trophy ceremony.
Jannik Sinner will begin his reign at the top on Monday, marking the end of Alcaraz’s 67-week time at the pinnacle of the rankings. For the first time since November 2025, the Italian has secured his place at the top.
Edited by Hitesh Nigam
