Carlos Alcaraz acknowledged that setting his sights on surpassing Jannik Sinner for the World No. 1 spot on the ATP Tour may not have been the best approach. Known for his ambition, Alcaraz naturally aims to top the rankings, though he currently sits in third place. The 21-year-old Spaniard has often expressed his goal of becoming one of the greatest players ever, but he also recognizes that it’s unrealistic to perform at a high level constantly — something he’s been struggling with lately.
At the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters, Carlos Alcaraz returned to form by securing victories over Francisco Cerundolo and Daniel Altmaier, advancing to the quarter-finals. In an interview with Prakash Amritraj on the Tennis Channel desk, Alcaraz reflected on his match against Altmaier, which was a clear success for the Spaniard as he claimed a straight-sets win.
I felt really good out there today. It’s my first time playing on clay this season, and we only had a week to get ready for this tournament, so it’s all part of the process — just taking it day by day and continuing to improve.
Alcaraz was also questioned about his ability to change momentum during matches. In his opening match at this year’s Monte-Carlo tournament, he dropped the first set to Francisco Cerundolo 3-6 but bounced back impressively, dominating the next two sets 6-0 and 6-1.
The Spanish sensation was also questioned about his focus on the rankings. With Jannik Sinner serving a three-month suspension, Alcaraz had an opportunity to claim the World No. 1 position. However, it now appears he won’t be able to achieve that before the Italian makes his comeback.
However, that doesn’t seem to be a concern for Alcaraz right now. He revealed that he’s been working on shifting his mindset away from fixating on rankings, as he realized it wasn’t the best approach for him.
“I used to focus on the rankings and stats, but I’ve come to understand that it’s not the right mindset. Now, I see that I just need to go out there and play—because I truly love the game and being on the court.”
“My goal now is to focus on playing good tennis and let go of the rankings and all the external pressures. I’ve realized that’s what I need, and during the clay-court season, that’s exactly what I’m aiming to do—block everything else out and simply enjoy playing.”
In the quarter-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Monte-Carlo, Alcaraz is set to face Arthur Fils, who delivered an outstanding performance to defeat former champion Andrey Rublev.
