It’s not just Jannik Sinner who won’t leave Carlos Alcaraz alone.

If all goes according to plan, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will be on the court every day between now and Sunday. As they enter the round of 16, the scoreboard takes shape and in Monte Carlo we enter the hottest phase of a tournament that, so far, has lived up to expectations. That is precisely why it is not so obvious to witness a final between the two, also because in the four tournaments played together so far they have never found themselves in the last act.

Holding the spotlight, more than the results on the court, however, are still the words of Alcaraz, who despite his victory-lightning over Baez shook fans and insiders by heralding Sinner’s overtaking him at No. 1 in the ATP rankings. “I don’t know if the overtaking will come in this tournament or in the next one,” the Spaniard said in the post-match press conference. “I have many points to defend and it will be difficult to confirm all of them. Even if I succeed, Jannik will still gain some. First place, however, is not something that worries me.” Words that have divided fans: on the one hand, those who read them as a gesture of honesty and maturity; on the other, those who interpret them as an attempt to shift the pressure onto their rival’s shoulders.

The ranking picture is clear: on clay Alcaraz will have to defend 4,330 points between Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome and Roland Garros, while Sinner just 1,650. A gap that opens concrete scenarios as early as in the Principality: the Italian would become number one by winning the tournament, reaching the final without the Spaniard in the last act, or reaching the semifinals if Alcaraz goes out in the round of 16.

In the upper part of the scoreboard, the world number 1, who started well by folding Baez, cannot feel entirely safe. In the quarters he could cross paths with one between Jiri Lehecka, fresh from the Miami final, and Alexander Bublik.

There is no shortage of authoritative voices on the duel between the two. Boris Becker, interviewed by Adnkronos, came out with a lucid assessment: “Sinner has had an incredible March. Last year at this time he was disqualified, so he didn’t play in March, April, and actually until Rome he was not allowed to play, so he has a lot of points to make up. On the other hand, Alcaraz won practically every tournament from Monte Carlo until November. I think clay is Sinner’s least favorite surface, and Alcaraz has a slight advantage, but if Sinner can get good results in Monte Carlo, in Madrid, in Rome, I think it will increase his chances of ending the year in first place.” The former German champion then widened his gaze to the rest of the circuit, citing Zverev, Djokovic, and up-and-coming youngsters such as Arthur Fils and Joao Fonseca among possible outsiders.

Sinner, for his part, does not hide behind easy optimism about the transition to clay. “Of course the transition from concrete to clay is not easy, but I think year after year I am gaining more experience and I understand sooner how I have to play,” explained the South Tyrolean. “The most important thing, however, is always the mentality, because you can control that on any surface. This year the goal is Paris, I want to get there by making the progress I expect to make: there are still things to improve, for example I have to understand the distance to the ball when I slide.” Words that photograph a champion aware of his own room for growth, but also of what is at stake in this long ride to Roland Garros.

More turbulent, however, is the atmosphere around Alcaraz, who in recent weeks has shown increasing signs of impatience. After defeats in Indian Wells and Miami, the Spaniard had already turned on the spotlight with over-the-top statements about the pressure of being a constant target for opponents. In Monte Carlo he added a new outburst, this time about the lack of privacy on the circuit: “We no longer have a place to relax, as we constantly think there are cameras and everyone is watching us. Having cameras so close, that they can even see what we are looking at on our phones, seems excessive to me. We should have spaces where we can be alone without being filmed.” An Alcaraz who, net of intact tennis quality, seems to be carrying a growing emotional weight on his shoulders just as the challenge with Sinner enters its most decisive phase.