Carlos Alcaraz defeated World No. 1 and home favorite Jannik Sinner at the Italian Open finals

Carlos Alcaraz won this season’s Italian Open title with a dominating victory over home favourite and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. The Spaniard won with a final scoreline of 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 in the final round. 

This was Sinner’s return to competition after a three-month doping suspension. Alcaraz took control early in the game, having a 3-0 lead and eventually sealing it at 7-5. Moreover, he controlled the second set with a 5-0 lead. Jannik Sinner had no chance to overcome his opponent’s momentum, and Alcaraz served out the match and won the victory. 

In a social media post, Alcaraz shared his victory with a caption: “🏆🇮🇹❤️ ROMA!!!”

Netizens expressed their support in the comments section of the post and said: “Carlos, congratulations on another incredible victory!! But even more than the title, what really stands out is the mindset you’ve found again—the joy, the calm, and the pride in your journey. It’s inspiring to see you trust yourself, focus on the right things, and let your love for the game lead the way 🔥👏 Enjoy it champ 🔥”, “Tennis is fortunate to have you and Sinner at the top”, and “When carlitos smiles, tennis smiles”

Alcaraz’s dominance over Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz is the only player to have defeated Jannik Sinner more than once since 2023, and now he has done it four times in a row. 

Alcaraz’s win in Rome extended his dominance over Sinner, and he also ended the Italian’s 26-match winning streak from October. With his latest success, Alcaraz now leads their head-to-head rivalry 7-4. Furthermore, the Spaniard also cemented his position to defend his French Open title.

Alcaraz reached his third final and will now rise in the ATP rankings and become World No. 2. The athlete won the Monte Carlo Masters and finished the Barcelona Open as a runner-up. Unfortunately, he then withdrew from the Madrid Open due to injury.

More so, with his impressive performances, Alcaraz joins an elite group as only the fifth man in history to win all three Masters 1000 clay events (Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome), alongside tennis stars Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Gustavo Kuerten, and Marcelo Rios. 

Sinner’s comeback 

Jannik Sinner made a comeback in the Italian Open, his first tournament since capturing his third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open last January. 

His absence from the tennis scene followed a three-month suspension related to a doping case. Sinner reached a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) last February, a decision that raised questions, as the timing of the ban allowed him to avoid missing any Grand Slam events and make his comeback at his home tournament, the Italian Open.