The draw for the 2026 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters was released on Friday, setting the stage for the year’s first ATP Masters 1000 clay-court event and renewing the question of whether Jannik Sinner can finally overtake Carlos Alcaraz at the top of the world rankings.
Alcaraz enters as defending champion and world No. 1, having claimed his first title at the Monte-Carlo Country Club last April with a come-from-behind win over Lorenzo Musetti. The Spaniard arrives, however, under significant pressure. He suffered a third-round defeat to Sebastian Korda in Miami and faces a heavy points burden across the clay swing, with 4,300 ranking points to defend through Roland Garros.
Sinner, seeded second, is in precisely the opposite position. The Italian completed the Sunshine Double in commanding fashion, sweeping both Indian Wells and Miami without dropping a set, and carries no points to defend in Monaco after missing the 2025 clay season during his doping suspension. He trails Alcaraz by just 1,190 ranking points, making Monte Carlo the first genuine flashpoint of the title race.
Alexander Zverev is seeded third, with 2025 finalist Musetti at four and Alex de Minaur at five. The 56-player field also includes former three-time Monte Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, who enters unseeded, along with past winners Andrey Rublev and Stan Wawrinka, the latter receiving a wildcard alongside veteran Gaël Monfils. The top eight seeds receive first-round byes, meaning Alcaraz and Sinner will need five wins to claim the title.
The draw was reshaped significantly by a wave of withdrawals. Novak Djokovic, a two-time champion in Monaco, pulled out due to a right shoulder injury that also kept him out of Miami. Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, Sebastian Korda and Arthur Fils are also absent. American players Tommy Paul, Learner Tien, Brandon Nakashima and Alex Michelsen — all competing this week in Houston — were not in the entry list for Monte Carlo.
Main draw play begins Sunday, April 6, with the final scheduled for Sunday, April 12. The total prize fund stands at €6,791,465.
