Carlos Alcaraz Claims Italian Open Crown, Ends Sinner's Winning Streak

Italian Open final: Alcaraz beats Sinner 7-6, 6-1, eyes defending French Open title. Catch up on the match report and analysis.

Carlos Alcaraz secured the Italian Open title with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 win over Jannik Sinner in the final. This victory serves as a strong statement ahead of the upcoming Roland Garros.

The win marks Alcaraz's third title of the season. Following this triumph, he will rise to world number two, trailing Sinner, as the ATP rankings update on Monday. The French Open is set to begin next weekend.

“Beating Jannik and winning in Rome, I think both things mixed together give you a great confidence coming to Paris,” said Alcaraz.

“I'm going to enjoy this moment with my family, with my team, friends that came from home. And a few days rest just to realise what I've achieved, that is important as well. And then my focus is on Roland Garros.”

Sinner's 26-match winning streak came to an end at the hands of Alcaraz. Notably, Alcaraz was also the one who last beat Sinner in the final of last year's China Open.

Alcaraz holds the distinction of being the only player to beat Sinner in a tour final since 2024, when Sinner's rise to the top of men's tennis and his three Grand Slam titles began.

Despite missing the Madrid Open due to a thigh injury, Carlos Alcaraz has had an impressive clay court season. The 22-year-old's success includes winning two Masters 1000 titles this year - Monte Carlo and Rome.

Alcaraz also reached the final in Barcelona, further showcasing his dominance on clay.

Sinner's bid to become the first Italian man to win the Italian Open since Adriano Panatta in 1976 ultimately fell short. He failed to secure a hat-trick of wins for Italian players in Rome, following Jasmine Paolini's impressive victories.

Paolini made history the previous day by winning the Rome singles title, becoming the first Italian woman to do so since Raffaella Reggi in 1985. She then completed a remarkable double, claiming the doubles title alongside Sara Errani with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens.

Sinner's strong performance in Rome bodes well for his return to form, setting the stage for a potential rematch with Alcaraz in the French Open final. As the top two seeds in Paris, the two young stars are likely to draw significant attention.

Carlos Alcaraz captures his first title in Rome! pic.twitter.com/evcehPdKC7

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) May 18, 2025

After the match, Sinner humorously acknowledged his brother Mark's absence, joking that Mark had chosen to watch the Formula One Grand Prix in Imola instead of attending the tournament. Sinner also praised Alcaraz, stating that he would be the player to beat at Roland Garros.

Alcaraz Claims Rome Title

For Jannik Sinner, finishing as runner-up in Rome is a positive outcome in his first tournament since serving a three-month ban for unintentional doping. Sinner's lapse in the first set, where he let two set points slip in the 12th game, proved pivotal.

This allowed Carlos Alcaraz to seize control, winning the tie-break and then dominating the second set, taking the first five games to secure his first Rome crown.

The 23-year-old was gunning to become the first Italian man to win at the Foro Italico since Adriano Panatta back in 1976, but he failed to make it a hat-trick of triumphs for home players in the Italian capital.

In a related triumph, Jasmine Paolini made her own mark on the tournament. She and Sara Errani won the women's doubles title, defeating Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens 6-4, 7-5. This victory followed Paolini's singles win, where she defeated Coco Gauff in straight sets to become the first Italian woman to claim the Rome singles title since Raffaella Reggi in 1985, and the first woman to win both singles and doubles titles in Rome since Monica Seles in 1990.