ROME — In a tournament filled with history, comeback storylines, and electric crowds draped in orange, it was Carlos Alcaraz who walked away with the trophy—and a loud, clear message for the tennis world.
The 21-year-old Spaniard handed Jannik Sinner a straight-sets defeat, 7-6(5), 6-1, in Sunday’s Italian Open final, capturing his first title in Rome and solidifying his status as the man to beat heading into Roland Garros.
Alcaraz now leads their head-to-head 7-4 and is the only player to defeat Sinner more than once in the past 18 months—having now done so four straight times.
“Just proud about myself, the way that I approached the match mentally,” Alcaraz said. “Tactically, I think I did it pretty well from the first to the last point. I maintained my level during the whole match.”
Sinner Returns, But Alcaraz Rules
This was Sinner’s first tournament back after a three-month suspension linked to a controversial doping settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency. While the ban did not cause him to miss any Grand Slam events, it cast a shadow over his absence since his Australian Open triumph in January.
Still, Sinner fought his way to the final, energizing a fiercely loyal home crowd at the Foro Italico. Chants of “Sinner! Sinner!” echoed through Campo Centrale before the match even began. Orange filled the stands. History hovered—the chance to become the first Italian man to win the title since Adriano Panatta in 1976.
He came close to grabbing control early. Sinner held two set points at 6-5 in the first, but Alcaraz saved both. Two aces in the tiebreak helped the Spaniard steal the opener, and from there, he never looked back.
“We went through three months that were anything but easy,” Sinner said. “So achieving this result already here is really big. We should be really proud.”
“We’re bringing home a very special trophy,” he added. “Even if I wanted the other one.”
A Trophy, A Statement, and a Warning Shot
With the win, Alcaraz not only snapped Sinner’s 26-match winning streak, which dated back to last October—he also reclaimed his No. 2 ATP ranking. It’s his third final in three clay events this season, after winning Monte Carlo and finishing runner-up in Barcelona.
Despite missing Madrid due to injury, Alcaraz’s Rome triumph completes his sweep of the three major Masters 1000 clay events—joining an elite group that includes Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Gustavo Kuerten, and Marcelo Rios.
“I’m just really happy to see Jannik back at this amazing level,” Alcaraz said with a touch of humility. “Making the final here is something insane.”
Now, all eyes turn to Paris.
With four Grand Slam titles already under his belt and clay momentum on his side, Alcaraz heads into Roland Garros not just as a contender—but as the clear favorite to defend his French Open crown.
And for Jannik Sinner? If history holds, there’s only one man who can stop him. Unfortunately for him, that man just beat him. Again.
