The rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz The common thread of world tennis is confirmed even off the court. The two champions are in fact among the main candidates in the category "Sportsman of the Year"Ai Laureus World Sports Awards 2026, one of the most prestigious awards in international sport.
The newly minted world number one is nominated after a top-level season, highlighted by victories at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, as well as a triumph at the Nitto ATP Finals, a result that has firmly cemented him at the top of the circuit. Alcaraz responds with an equally impressive list of titles: Roland Garros and the US Open won during the year, in addition to closing the season with a number one in the ranking world.
Laureus 2026: More Than Just Sinner and Alcaraz: Here Are the Nominees and the Ceremony in Madrid
The race for the award, however, is far from limited to tennis. Candidates include Spanish motorcyclist Marc Márquez, fresh from his seventh MotoGP world title; Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar, winner of his third Tour de France; French soccer player Ousmane Dembele, who enjoyed a Ballon d'Or-winning season with a Champions League victory with Paris Saint-Germain; and pole vault champion Mondo Duplantis, who won the award last year and set four world records for the season.
I Laureus World Sports Awards 2026, selected by the Laureus World Sports Academy jury, will be awarded on Monday 20 April during the ceremony at the Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid.
Madrid Open 2026: Masters 1000 Dates, Draw, and Schedule
Madrid will be a protagonist on two fronts, hosting both the Laureus ceremony and the Mutua Madrid Open 2026, the second Masters 1000 of the clay court season, scheduled from April 21st to May 4th.
The tournament will begin with the first rounds of the women's draw on April 21, while the men's draw will begin the following day, Wednesday April 22The draw is scheduled for April 20th and the schedule will accompany the event until the finals on the first weekend in May.
Will Sinner play in Madrid?
In this context, Sinner is expected to Madrid but it remains still in doubt about participation in the tournamentThe final decision will be made just before the start of the Masters 1000, with the staff busy managing the physical load in a particularly intense phase of the season. The choice is not easy, also because the calendar is packed and fits between the Italian Open and above all the Roland Garros, the main goal of his clay-court career. Aside from Madrid, Jannik has never won in Rome or Roland Garros (other than an Olympic medal).
On the other hand, however, Madrid also represents a significant opportunity: a possible success would allow the Azzurri to pursue a historic goal such as the winning five Masters 1000 titles consecutive (Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid), a feat never achieved by anyone in the modern era of tennis, as well as allowing him to further extend his lead over Alcaraz and arrive in Rome as world number one.
ATP Rankings: Sinner leads Alcaraz after Monte Carlo
And it's the rankings that confirm the Italian's strong moment. Thanks to the success in Monte Carlo, Sinner has reached 13.350 points, while Alcaraz remained at 13.240. The Spaniard could have attempted to overtake in Barcelona, but his withdrawal before the round of 16 penalised him further, with a projection that brings it to around 12.960 points.
The gap has thus widened, with Sinner in a clear lead. The Italian is already certain to remain world number one for at least another two weeks, reaching a total of 69 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings. Even if he misses Madrid, he would retain the lead at least until April 27, while only after the conclusion of the Spanish tournament, so starting May 4th, Alcaraz could theoretically be back in contention for the lead. However, his presence is not guaranteed: the Spaniard is dealing with a wrist problem that could affect his participation in the home tournament.
