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A soaring Jannik Sinner took his comeback to celestial levels reaching his maiden Rome final.
Master multi-tasker Carlos Alcaraz showed Sinner closing power on his home soil.
Facing the world No. 1 in a blockbuster final, Alcaraz muted frenzied fans, stifled Sinner and solidified his status as the king of natural surfaces.
Alcaraz fought off two set points in the 12th game to squeeze out the first set before steamrolling Sinner 7-6(5), 6-1 to capture his maiden Rome championship today.
In his first tournament since completing his three-month suspension, Sinner still rules the tennis world, but Alcaraz rules this rivalry.
Reigning Roland Garros champion Alcaraz snapped Sinner’s 26-match winning streak defeating the US Open champion for the fourth consecutive match to seize a 7-4 lead in this riveting rivalry.
“I know you’ve been out of the tour for three months; I can’t imagine how tough and how difficult it was for you, for your family and for our team,” Alcaraz told Sinner during the trophy presentation after handing him his first loss in 228 days. “And coming back to the tour for your home is really special for you… and making such a special performance I have to congratulate you.
“It’s amazing what you have done. I’m not going to get tired of saying how an amazing person, athlete you are working very hard, making your people proud congratulations to you, your family and your team.”
It is the 19th career championship for Alcraz, including his seventh ATP Masters 1000 championship.
Monte-Carlo champion Alcaraz is the first man since his doubles partner, King of Clay Rafa Nadal in 2018, to win multiple Masters 1000 titles on clay in the same season.
Alcaraz improves to an ATP-best 30-6 on the season and reinforces his reputation as the favorite to defending his Roland Garros crown. Alcaraz, who has won 27 of his last 29 clay-court matches since last May, will carry a 15-1 record on dirt this season into Paris.
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Two-time Australian Open champion Sinner made a rousing return, including an audience with Pope Leo XIV followed by a beatific beat down of Madrid champion Casper Ruud 6-0, 6-1 in the Rome quarterfinals inspiring Italian fans to sing his name in tribute during several of his Rome victories..
"First set for sure was a little bit of a game-changer," Sinner told the media in Rome. "But talking general, very happy about this tournament. It gives me then hopefully confidence to play some good tennis also in Paris. Let's see what's coming out there.
"But yeah, after three months coming here making this result means a lot to me, a lot to my team also. We worked a lot to be here. Happy also with my family and everything.
"So yeah, happens like today. But for sure it's a good lesson then for Paris."
Alcaraz’s all-court variety, adrenalized serving—he saved two set points then slammed two aces in the tiebreaker—and his agility on the slippery salmon-colored clay were all keys today.
The third-seeded Alcaraz smacked 19 winners—12 more than Sinner—including a slick drop shot and stab forehand volley to seal this Rome crown on his third championship point. Alcaraz is the first man to sweep Sinner in straight sets since Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic in final of 2023 Nitto ATP Finals, breaking a streak of 94 consecutive matches since and first on clay since Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated the Italian superstar 7-6(5) 6-2 in the 2022 Rome quarterfinals.
A ruthless Sinner had won 40 of his last 41 matches with his lone loss coming to Alcaraz in a tight three-set Beijing final last October. Today, Sinner led 6-5 and held two set points on Alcaraz’s serve to snatch a one-set lead.
Once Alcaraz subdued stress to hold and force the tiebreaker, he elevated his play and was using the entire court to stretch Sinner. A dominant Sinner had won 24 straight sets vs. Top 10 players—second-longest streak since Hall of Famer John McEnroe won 28 sets in a row vs. Top 10 men back in his vintage 1984 season—but could not manage a set against Alcaraz.
When you hear Grand Slam champions criticize Alcaraz’s game, often they focus on his flights into full thrill-ride tennis saying the Spaniard’s desire for daredevil crowd pleasing play makes him his own worst enemy at times.
Today, Alcaraz, wearing a black knee brace, dialed down the flashy flights in favor of fierce form and function. That that was likely out of respect for Sinner and perhaps due to his desire to his desire to save as much strength as possible for his Roland Garros defense. The 22-year-old Spaniard may have figured the entire stadium was on Sinner's side anyway so in practical terms it was just smarter to play exterminator rather than entertainer.
In their last clay meeting, Alcaraz scored a mesmerizing five-set win over Sinner in the 2024 Roland Garros semifinals.Unleashing all-court attack, Alcaraz fought into his maiden Roland Garros final with a 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 conquest of Sinner that spanned four hours, nine minutes.
The 25th career final for each man began with challenging holds for the Spaniard.
In the fifth game, Alcaraz battered backhands crosscourt earning the first break point of the final. Stinging a serve down the T, Sinner saved it navigating a tricky eight-minute hold for 3-2.
Two games later, a leaping Sinner slammed a Safin-style backhand strike down the line that helped him hold at 30 for 4-3. That superb shot sparked a chorus of “Ole! Ole! Ole! Sinner! Sinner” from Italian fans exhorting their home hero.
Both champions found a higher gear on serve swapping love holds in the ninth and 10th games.
The US Open champion made his move earning double-set points in the 12th game.
Alcaraz challenged the top seed with stinging serve into his right hip and Sinner netted a forehand return on the first set point.
On set point number two, Sinner went for an extravagant backhand down the line from a tough position and missed it well wide.
Dodging danger, Alcaraz denied both set points banging a big forehand to end a nine-minute hold to take it to a tiebreaker.
Attacking for the first time, Sinner could not handle a low pass and netted a backhand volley to cede the mini break to start. Amping up his serve nearly 10 mph faster, Alcaraz slammed successive aces for a 3-0 lead in the breaker.
Alcaraz gave back the mini break with a double fault, but caught a break with a net-cord return. Alcaraz looped a lob and Sinner’s sky hook reply fell wide as the Spaniard regained the mini break at 5-3.
On his second set point, Alcaraz showed mesmerizing all-court skills to seal the set.
Sneaking in behind a backhand, Alcaraz dabbed a deft inside-out backhand volley off a bullet to his ribcage, read the Italian’s pass and punched a forehand volley winner to close a superb 70-minute opening set.
Cupping his hand to his ear, Alcaraz muted Rome fans with a “let’s hear an Ole! Ole! Ole!” gesture.
Saving two set points in the 12th game, Alcaraz snapped Sinner’s streak of 24 straight sets won against Top 10 opponents.
Empowered by the one-set lead, Alcaraz charged through 14 of 16 points to start the second set. Alcaraz broke at love for a 2-0 second-set lead when Sinner tomahawked a forehand off the tape then netted a running forehand to drop serve for the first time.
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Though Sinner was straddling the baseline taking the ball earlier, Alcaraz was frequently firing harder—and varying wicked spins to trouble the top seed. Jerking Sinner side to side, Alcaraz suddenly flicked a forehand drop shot winner with all the ease of a man sweeping a stray piece of lint off his shoulder to hold for a 3-0 second-set lead.
Rome fans tried rousing the Italian Davis Cup hero, but Alcaraz was firing freely and moving fluidly. Ninety-one minutes into the match, Sinner was on top of the net when he badly botched an easy forehand volley into net giving Alcaraz the double-break 4-0 lead.
On his third championship point, Alcaraz feathered the forehand dropper read the reply and stabbed that forehand volley to close in one hour, 43 minutes.
Thrusting his arms in the sky, Alcaraz ran to his box to embrace his parents and coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Alcaraz denied Italian fans the first Italian Rome champion since legendary Adriano Panatta took the title in 1976 while reaffirming his title as Duke of Dirt.