Carlos Alcaraz described his meeting with Jannik Sinner in the final at the 2026 Monte Carlo Masters as a “dream” matchup after he overcame Valentin Vacherot.
The world No 1 defeated 23rd-ranked Monegasque hero Vacherot 6-4, 6-4 in the second semi-final at the Masters 1000 tournament.
Alcaraz broke Vacherot once in the opening set and twice in the second set as he ended the 27-year-old’s remarkable run at his home event.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner is seeking his second title in Monte Carlo, where he is the defending champion.
The 22-year-old will take on world No 2 Sinner — his biggest rival — in the championship match on Sunday. It will be the first encounter between Alcaraz and Sinner in 2026.
Sinner, who crushed third seed Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-4 in the first semi-final, is aiming to win his first Masters 1000 title on clay.
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As well as battling for the prestigious Monte Carlo trophy, the winner of the final will hold the world No 1 position when the ATP Rankings update on Monday.
In the Live ATP Rankings, Alcaraz is on 13,240 points, and Sinner has 13,000. If Alcaraz wins, he will have 13,590 points, while a Sinner victory would see the Italian jump to 13,350 points — which would put him 110 points clear of the Spaniard.
In his on-court interview with Tennis TV, Alcaraz discussed his win against Vacherot and looked ahead to his showdown with Sinner.
“I think it’s the dream spot for everyone, I’d say,” said the Spaniard.
“I’m fighting for my second Monte Carlo title; I think he’s fighting for his first one.
“It’s gonna be a really special one. The number one is on the line, so I would say that makes it even more special.
“But for me, I’m just really happy to win this really difficult match against Valentin; I think he’s playing great tennis with a lot of confidence right now. Playing in his hometown, it was really tough to deal with.
“Really excited about my first meeting against Jannik in 2026, first final. Let’s see how it’s gonna be tomorrow, but I’m really excited about it.”
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