Young tennis athlete Carlos Alcaraz has admitted that the pressure of regaining the world No. 1 ranking from Jannik Sinner, who is suspended due to a doping ban, has negatively affected his overall performance this 2025 season.
Currently, Alcaraz is ranked third in the world rankings, trailing behind Sinner and Zverev. He is under pressure to do better. The athlete said, “A lot of people are asking me, or are telling me, that I have the chance to become No. 1 if Jannik is not playing. So probably that pressure has killed me in some way.”
The 21-year-old athlete said he is not surprised that he is still ranked world No. 3, for he knows his recent performances were not his best.
“I’m not surprised because the people always say that we have to win the tournaments or the top people have to be there all the time playing finals or winning tournaments,” Alcaraz remarked.
A tough start for the 2025 season
The four-time Grand Slam champion had a shaky start this 2025 season, winning only the Rotterdam hard-court event in February. However, the Monte Carlo 1000 tournament signals the beginning of the clay-court season–a surface in which Alcaraz is known to have remarkable success.
But Alcaraz is yet to secure a win on the Monte Carlo clay after being eliminated on his debut in 2022 and pulling out of the tournament the last two years.
In previous seasons, Alcaraz won the French Open in 2024 and achieved back-to-back Madrid Masters titles in 2023 and 2022.
Alcaraz remarked that he now feels at peace with not yet surpassing Sinner as World No. 1. Sinner has been out from competitions since he accepted a three-month doping suspension in February after testing positive for clostebol in March 2024. He is expected to return to court for the Rome Open in May.
Alcaraz said, “I’m just thinking that I’m not able to become No. 1 in the clay season, even if Jannik is not playing. I don’t have the chance to do it. I think I’m too far from Jannik. So I’m just here and I realise that I don’t have to think about it and just go there and play. That’s my mindset right now.”
In a recent social media post, Alcaraz shared: “👋🏻 Montecarlo! ❤️ @rolexmontecarlomasters”
View this post on Instagram
Netizens expressed their excitement in the comments section. One said: “You absolutely stunning man, I’m sending luck and love to you and can’t wait to watch you at your best, love you ❤️”,
Another added,”Good luck! 🤞 Let’s start the clay season properly 🔥🙏”, and “All the best Carlitos 🫶”