Carlos Alcaraz handed clear advantage over Jannik Sinner by Monte-Carlo Masters draw

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

With the Monte-Carlo Masters draw now confirmed, the top seeds have a clearer picture of what lies ahead in the tournament.

Carlos Alcaraz heads into the event looking to defend his title after claiming his first win at the Masters last year.

Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, has a shot at reclaiming the world number one ranking if he can go all the way and lift the trophy.

The draw appears to have given Alcaraz a bit of an edge over Sinner, which could prove important as they both look to make deep runs in Monaco.

Monte-Carlo draw gives Alcaraz an early edge​

You must be registered for see images attach

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Both players have received byes into the second round, but it’s Sinner who faces the tougher road ahead.

Sinner’s section is loaded with talent. He’s in the same bracket as Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alexander Zverev, and Casper Ruud.

Alcaraz’s path looks more manageable by comparison. The main threats he’ll need to keep an eye on are Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti, and perhaps Alexander Bublik.

In the second round, Alcaraz could come up against Stan Wawrinka if the Swiss player manages to get past Sebastian Baez in his opening match.

The draw means Alcaraz won’t face a top 10 opponent until the semi-finals. Sinner could be up against Auger-Aliassime as early as the quarter-finals.

Tricky Monte-Carlo opener for Jannik Sinner​

It’s not just the challenging draw Sinner has to worry about; his first opponent in Monte-Carlo could be a potential wildcard threat.

The Italian might open his campaign against 16-year-old Moise Kouame, who recently notched up his first ATP match win.

Kouame, while still relatively unknown, could pose some problems, especially with the local crowd likely to be fully behind him.

The French teenager has already shown impressive athleticism for his age, and Sinner will be aware of the challenge that presents.

Kouame faces Ugo Humbert in the opening round, with the winner set to meet the four-time Grand Slam champion.

Read more:

• Why Novak Djokovic may be thinking twice about Monte-Carlo in 2026
• The number of Grand Slams McEnroe predicted for Djokovic after No.24
• Why Iva Jovic thinks beating Jessica Pegula is such a tough task before Charleston Open showdown

Continue reading...