With Jannik Sinner sidelined for three months, the stage was set for Carlos Alcaraz to shine. Many expected the Spaniard to dominate and reclaim his spot at the top. However, his season, so far, has been far from smooth. Alcaraz’s Sunshine Double campaign in America didn’t go as planned. For the first time in four years, he failed to win either of the two titles, losing to Jack Draper in the semis at the Indian Wells, while crashing in the first round at Miami, losing to David Goffin in a shocking upset. Casper Ruud, meanwhile, has also struggled, failing to make an impact on hard courts. With the clay season approaching now, both these players have a golden opportunity to turn things around.

Carlos Alcaraz is not one to dwell on setbacks. The clay courts of Europe offer the perfect reset button. He missed last year’s Monte-Carlo Masters due to an elbow injury and skipped the Barcelona ATP 500 event that followed. This year, he has a chance to rack up 1,500 new ATP ranking points by winning both tournaments, which could push him past Alexander Zverev into the No. 2 spot. His schedule is packed.

After Monte-Carlo and Barcelona, Alcaraz will head to Madrid and Rome before defending his French Open crown at Roland Garros. With just 200 ranking points to defend from last year’s clay season (excluding Roland Garros, where he will defend his title for 2000 points), he has a real chance to climb the rankings. Growing up on Spanish clay, the World No.3 knows this surface inside out. He’s already been spotted training on red dirt, gearing up for the European swing.

Casper Ruud’s struggles on hard courts were less surprising. Since early 2023, he has reached just one of the last 15 quarterfinals at major hard-court tournaments. The Norwegian, once a top-five staple, has had a rough start to 2025. He was knocked out early in the second round by 19-year-old Jakub Mensik. His Sunshine Double was also marked by early exits as he failed to progress further than the Round of 16. But if there’s one surface where he thrives, it’s clay.

The clay-court specialist has built his career on the red dirt. Of his 12 ATP titles, 11 have come on clay. But this season, he has a lot to defend—2,410 points, to be exact. A slip-up could see his top-10 status come under threat. He has been a regular at Roland Garros, making two consecutive final appearances in 2022 and 2023. The 26-year-old is also defending titles in Barcelona and Geneva. If there’s a time to rediscover his form, it’s now.

While all eyes are on Alcaraz and Ruud, there’s another contender who thrives in Monte-Carlo—Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud eye Stefanos Tsitsipas’s Monte Carlo crown

Stefanos Tsitsipas has won the Monte Carlo Masters thrice, including last year, and remains a serious threat on clay. The Greek star’s dominance at Monte-Carlo is no accident. He won back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022 before his streak was halted by Taylor Fritz in the quarters in 2023. But he returned in 2024 to claim his third title.

However, his start to 2025 has been rocky. The 26-year-old suffered a first-round exit at the Australian Open, falling to young American Alex Michelsen. His only standout moment this year? Winning the Dubai Open. Outside of that, his hard-court season has been forgettable.

Monte-Carlo is where Tsitsipas hopes to bounce back. He defeated Ruud in last year’s final, ending the Norwegian’s dream run. Ruud had pulled off the biggest win of his career in the semis, taking down 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. But in the final, Tsitsipas was too strong and eventually dominated 6-1,6-4.

This year, the battle is wide open. Carlos Alcaraz is seeking his first big clay-court title of the season, Ruud is desperate to hold onto his ranking, and Tsitsipas wants to defend his crown. The Monte-Carlo Masters is shaping up to be a thrilling showdown. Who will rise to the occasion?