Saturday’s tennis headlines were dominated by events at the 2026 Monte Carlo Masters as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner set up a blockbuster final.
We have news of what Alcaraz and Sinner said following their semi-finals ahead of their showdown — which will see them fight for the world No 1 ranking.
Another notable story was Alexander Zverev’s comment about Sinner during his loss to the Italian in Monte Carlo.
In addition, we will look at what Alcaraz’s former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero said about the prospect of coaching Sinner, as well as the draws for next week’s tournaments.
Here is our latest roundup of the key tennis stories.
Alcaraz relishing ‘special’ Sinner final
Alcaraz downed Monegasque hero Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-4 in Monte Carlo to set up his first match with Sinner in 2026.
The 22-year-old, who needs to beat Sinner to keep the world No 1 ranking, said: “It’s gonna be a really special one. The number one is on the line, so I would say that makes it even more special.”
Read more: Carlos Alcaraz speaks about Jannik Sinner No 1 ranking showdown in ‘dream’ Monte Carlo Masters final
Sinner feels he has ‘nothing to lose’
World No 2 Sinner dismantled third-ranked Zverev 6-1, 6-4 in the first semi-final at the Masters 1000 event.
The four-time major winner said that matches against Alcaraz are “why I wake up” while also asserting “I have nothing to lose.”
Read more: Monte Carlo Masters: Jannik Sinner makes ‘nothing to lose’ statement after destroying Alexander Zverev
Zverev’s telling Sinner comment
Zverev has now lost eight consecutive matches to Sinner, and he was brutally honest about his struggles against the Italian during his latest defeat.
In the first set, the three-time Grand Slam runner-up was heard saying “I don’t know how to play him (Sinner)” in Russian to his team.
Read more: Monte Carlo Masters: Alexander Zverev makes telling 7-word mid-match comment about Jannik Sinner
Ferrero addresses Sinner links
Ferrero’s highly successful partnership with Alcaraz came to an end in December, and it has since been reported that the former world No 1 could work with the Spaniard’s biggest rival: Sinner.
The 2003 French Open champion has, however, poured cold water on such claims by saying: “I haven’t had any contact with Jannik. I’ve been in contact with other players, but not with him.”
Read more: Juan Carlos Ferrero reveals if he had contact with Jannik Sinner about coaching Italian
Stuttgart, Barcelona and Munich draws
The European clay season will continue next week with the WTA 500 in Stuttgart and the ATP 500s in Barcelona and Munich.
The draws for these three tournaments, which will feature a host of stars, were made on Saturday:
Barcelona Open draw: Alcaraz and Draper in same half as ATP 500 event suffers two big-name withdrawals
WTA Stuttgart draw: Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek & Alex Eala in same half as Coco Gauff learns fate
BMW Open draw: Zverev top seed, Fonseca gets tricky draw, Tsitsipas looks to end nightmare run
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