Jannik Sinner dominated Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-0 in just 64 minutes on Court Rainier III at the Monte Carlo Masters, advancing to the round of 16. The world number two emphasized his focus on Roland Garros while adjusting to clay. He described the win as a good performance amid low expectations for the tournament.
Sinner wrapped up the straight-sets victory swiftly, improving his head-to-head record against Humbert to 2-1. Speaking after the match, he highlighted the challenges of clay-court movement. “I feel like you need to adjust on every surface. The most difficult part, I think, is that when you slide, you still need to understand how much you slide because you know in clay you slide a little bit more,” Sinner said. He added that finding the right distance remains a work in progress, with matches providing the best practice ahead of his next outing and a planned break afterward. “It was a good performance from my side,” Sinner noted. “You have to change your game style a little bit, how you approach certain situations… The first tournament [on clay] is never easy. I come here with good feelings but, at the same time, not many expectations.” Sinner enters the event fresh off completing the Sunshine Double at Indian Wells and Miami without dropping a set. His primary goal this season remains Roland Garros, where he fell to Carlos Alcaraz in last year's final despite holding three championship points. “Obviously, this one hurts,” he reflected at the time, vowing to improve daily. Former Italian pro Paolo Bertolucci praised Sinner's confidence to La Gazzetta dello Sport, noting his recent successes despite potential fatigue. “The world number one ranking is simply a consequence of results,” Bertolucci said, downplaying short-term frenzy around the top spot currently held by Alcaraz.
