World No. 2 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the doubles event at the Monte Carlo Masters one day after partnering Zizou Bergs to a first-round victory. The decision allows Sinner to focus on singles, where he eyes the top ATP ranking. Bergs' father called the move understandable.
Jannik Sinner and Zizou Bergs defeated Casper Ruud and Tomáš Macháč 6-4, 7-5 in the doubles opening round at the Monte Carlo Masters. The pair had been set to face eighth seeds Guido Andreozzi and Manuel Guinard in the round of 16. Instead, Sinner's withdrawal handed Bergs' new opponents a walkover into the quarterfinals. Zizou Bergs' father, Koen Bergs, confirmed the news on X, writing: “It is official now. No doubles R2 for Zizou and Jannik. Jannik withdraws from the doubles draw. Understandable since he can become N1 in this tournament. Nevertheless, great experience for Zizou which will never be forgotten.” Sinner, fresh off titles at Indian Wells and Miami, prioritizes singles amid a tight race for No. 1. He trails Carlos Alcaraz by 1,190 points entering the event, but Alcaraz drops 1,000 as defending champion, narrowing the gap to 190. A deeper singles run than Alcaraz could see Sinner reclaim the top spot. Both players advanced to the last 16, with Alcaraz beating Sebastian Baez 6-1, 6-3 and Sinner next facing Tomáš Macháč. The doubles draw saw another withdrawal, as Jakub Mensik and Jiri Lehecka pulled out due to Mensik's toe injury after their win over Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev.
