The clay-court swing is the perfect vehicle for a long, winding, two-man Slam race.
It runs for most of spring—from early April to early June. It includes three Masters 1000s and a major. It takes us on a tour of some of the sport’s most scenic and historic sites. And it puts the players on a surface that demands a mix of artistry and physicality like no other.
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Rivalries have time to build, and tilt back and forth, on the dirt path to Roland Garros. We saw it happen with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, with Nadal and Novak Djokovic, and with Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
The rivalry of 2026, of course, is between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Last year, their clay race got off to a slow start, because Sinner was serving a suspension during the first two 1000s, in Monte Carlo and Madrid. Even then, though, they managed to wind things up with an all-time classic final in Paris.
This time around, they’ll both be at the starting gate in Monaco next week. Now that the draw has been made, here are three things to watch for as Alcaraz, Sinner, and their ATP tour-mates rev their clay engines.
