MONTE CARLO — Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will meet in the Monte-Carlo Masters final on Sunday, with the world No. 1 ranking at stake. Alcaraz, who currently holds the top ranking, will attempt to defend both his title and his position atop the ATP standings against Sinner, who would reclaim the No. 1 spot with a victory.

The defending champion advanced to the final by defeating Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals, concluding the match with a drop shot on match point. Sinner reached his first Monte-Carlo Masters final by beating Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-4 in the other semifinal. The win over Zverev extended Sinner's streak against the German to eight consecutive victories.

Sunday's championship match will be the ninth final between Alcaraz and Sinner. Alcaraz leads the overall head-to-head record 10-6. Both players enter the final with 26 career titles, each seeking a 27th.

By reaching the final at the clay-court event, Sinner became only the fourth man to appear in the final at each of the first three ATP Masters tournaments held in a single season. Roger Federer accomplished the feat in 2006, Rafael Nadal did so in 2011, and Novak Djokovic matched them in 2015. Sinner, a four-time Grand Slam champion, had already won the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments earlier this season before arriving in Monte Carlo.

Alcaraz has claimed two titles in 2025, including the Australian Open, where he defeated Djokovic in the final. That victory in Melbourne made Alcaraz the youngest man ever to win all four major championships. He first reached the world No. 1 ranking in his 367th professional match, a milestone he reached in fewer matches than either Nadal or Djokovic required to first attain the top position in their respective careers.