"I felt right at home": Winner in Monte-Carlo, Jannik Sinner takes another step forward in his career
Jannik Sinner, the new prince and king once again: by winning for the first time in Monaco in the final against Alcaraz, the Italian player reclaimed the world number 1 ranking and took another step forward on clay.
"Grazie mille a tutti," thank you a thousand times to everyone… The Italian crowd was eagerly awaiting Jannik Sinner's words in the language of Dante. Finally, after praising his opponent and the tournament in English, the new world number 1 received a standing ovation from his fans on Sunday afternoon, April 12.
"Well, I think I'll continue in Italian. It was a dream for me to win here." “I felt right at home,” he exclaimed into the microphone, the winner’s microphone. First victory in Monte Carlo, fourth consecutive Masters 1000 win, world number one reclaimed from Alcaraz…
Jannik Sinner thus achieved a resounding victory, at the end of a final that won’t be remembered for its quality of play: there were some powerful and impressive shots, but also a lot of unforced errors: 45 for Alcaraz, 38 for Sinner.
It must be said that the mischievous offshore wind, an unexpected guest on Sunday, had no regard for beautiful play, imposing its swirling gusts and giving the little yellow balls some rather strange trajectories.
Gifts on both sides
Sinner and Alcaraz had to make do, adding extra pressure to the Prince's Centre Court… After an exchange of breaks in the first set, the score reached 6-6 and went to a tiebreak. Sinner missed his first set point, sending an easy forehand into the net. In an improbable turn of events, Alcaraz returned the favor with a double fault, handing the set to the Italian…
As in the first set, Alcaraz broke before Sinner in the second, leading 3-1 and having two break points for 4-2, but to no avail. This missed opportunity clearly frustrated the Spaniard. Sinner leveled at 3-3 and capitalized on a volley from Alcaraz that went too wide to break back himself (4-3).
The Spaniard fought to the very end, but his drop shots, always well-read by Sinner, failed to produce any real magic. The first of the two match points for the Italian was the charm, on a forehand return that went too long from Alcaraz… Sinner remained kneeling for a few seconds, more in restrained emotion than in the expression of delirious joy…