Jannik Sinner is back at the top of men’s tennis after defeating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 in a tense Monte Carlo Masters final.

The clash at the Monte Carlo Masters was the first meeting between the world’s top two players since Sinner’s straight  sets win in last November’s ATP Finals.

Both players were forced to battle tricky windy conditions in Monaco, which disrupted rhythm and contributed to a combined 83 unforced errors. Even so, the quality moments still came in bursts, with big hitting and rapid momentum swings keeping the match on a knife edge early on.

Sinner held his nerve in the opening set tie break before pulling away in the second, closing out the match in straight sets to secure the title.

The victory lifts the 24 year old Italian back to world number one and hands him a third Masters 1000 crown of the season, following earlier wins at Indian Wells and Miami. It also stretches his winning streak in Masters events to 22 matches.