Jannik Sinner also surprised Carlos Alcaraz this time.

“I was surprised to see Sinner here after the victories in Indian Wells and Miami: it means that he is well physically and is ready to win anywhere.” Carlos Alcaraz, at the microphones of Sky Sports during the media day of the Monte Carlo Masters 1000, does not hide his astonishment at the choice of his great rival who, after completing the Sunshine Double, decided not to stop and to continue the season in the Principality, in one of the few tournaments still absent from his palmarés. Sinner’s presence inevitably makes the title defense more complex for Alcaraz.

Between the two, moreover, the first official confrontation of the season is still missing: “I hope to face him here, because we haven’t met yet this year. I would like to challenge him on clay.” Precisely on this surface, the talent from Murcia is called upon to defend a very heavy points haul: successes in Monte Carlo, Rome and Roland Garros, as well as the Barcelona final lost to Holger Rune.

“I’m really happy to be back on clay, a surface I love and know very well because I grew up there. It had been a year since the last time and I had missed it,” concluded the world No. 1.

It will be Ugo Humbert who will challenge Jannik Sinner first at the Monte Carlo tournament. Despite being number 34 in the world, clay is notoriously not the favorite surface of the 1998-class left-hander. And facing Moise Kouame, number 328 but an emerging talent in French tennis at only 17 years of age, was certainly not an easy task.

Already the first game proved this, in which the Metz player was forced to cancel a break ball. After the initial scare, however, Humbert reacted great and immediately took control, leading 4-0. His opponent also contributes, showing powerful but uncluttered strokes and a fast but not precise enough first serve to put him in trouble. Despite conceding a break with a double fault, Humbert closed the first set without any problems, brought home with a score of 6-3.