Alcaraz beats Sinner again to win Italian Open, solidifying his status as French Open favourite

Andrew Dampf · The Associated Press

· Posted: May 18, 2025 3:13 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

There's lone 1 subordinate who is consistently beating Jannik Sinner.

Carlos Alcaraz defeated the top-ranked Sinner again, 7-6 (5), 6-1, to triumph his archetypal Italian Open connected Sunday and adhd different large clay-court rubric to his resume.

Since the commencement of past year, Alcaraz is the lone subordinate to bushed Sinner much than erstwhile and present he's done it 4 consecutive times.

"Just arrogant astir myself, the mode that I approached the lucifer mentally. Tactically deliberation I did it beauteous good from the archetypal to the past point," Alcaraz said. "I maintained my level during the full match."

Alcaraz's triumph earlier Sinner's location fans astatine the Foro Italico snapped the Italian's 26-match winning streak, which stretched backmost to October — erstwhile Alcaraz bushed him successful the China Open last successful a third-set tiebreaker. Alcaraz present leads the vocation bid 7-4.

It was Sinner's archetypal tourney backmost aft a three-month doping ban.

"I'm conscionable truly blessed to spot Jannik backmost astatine this astonishing level," Alcaraz said. "I'm definite it wasn't casual for him coming backmost from 3 months without playing. Making the last present is thing insane."

Alcaraz besides solidified his presumption arsenic the favourite to support his rubric astatine the French Open, which starts adjacent Sunday.

"On clay close now, you're the champion player," Sinner said.

Added Alcaraz, "Beating Jannik, winning Rome. I deliberation some things mixed unneurotic springiness you a large assurance coming to Paris. I ever accidental that the last is not astir playing, the last is astir winning, to spell for it. I conscionable repeated (that to) myself each the time."

Alcaraz spoils Sinner's return

Sinner was playing his archetypal tourney since helium won his 3rd Grand Slam rubric astatine the Australian Open successful January.

In February, Sinner agreed to a colony with the World Anti-Doping Agency that raised questions, since the three-month suspension allowed him not to miss immoderate Grand Slams, and travel backmost astatine his location tournament.

Sinner said helium and his squad went done "three months that were thing but easy, truthful achieving this effect already present is truly big" and that "we should beryllium truly proud."

He added: "We're bringing location a precise peculiar trophy, adjacent if I wanted the different one."

Sinner was attempting to go the archetypal location antheral to triumph the Italian Open since Adriano Panatta successful 1976. He was besides trying to implicit a expanse of the Rome singles titles for Italy aft Jasmine Paolini won the women's trophy connected Saturday.

Paolini and spouse Sara Errani besides defended their women's doubles rubric earlier Sunday, making Paolini the archetypal pistillate since Monica Seles successful 1990 to expanse Rome's singles and doubles titles successful the aforesaid year.

A ample fig of the 10,500 fans successful Campo Centrale were decked retired successful orangish — Sinner's taxable colour — and they were chanting Sinner's sanction earlier the lucifer adjacent began, and adjacent aft Sinner lost.

"You gave maine a batch of energy, batch of courageousness to beryllium present connected court, I tried with everything I had," Sinner told the crowd. "It was thing very, precise special. Thank you."

Sinner besides cracked a gag astir offering "special thanks" to his brother, Mark, "who alternatively of being here, decided to spell to Imola to ticker Formula 1."

Sinner wastes 2 acceptable points

Sinner wasted 2 acceptable points connected Alcaraz's service erstwhile helium led 6-5 successful the archetypal acceptable and past Alcaraz jumped up successful the tiebreaker with 2 aces and held connected to seal it earlier cruising successful the 2nd set.

On Alcaraz's 3rd lucifer point, Sinner ran down a driblet changeable but Alcaraz was waiting for his reply and deed a agelong volley victor into the unfastened court.

Alcaraz past held his hands retired wide and flashed a wide smile.

Alcaraz deed 19 winners to Sinner's 7 and lone had 1 much unforced mistake than his hostile — 31-30. Half of Sinner's errors came from his backhand, which is usually his astir dependable shot.

Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion, volition determination backmost up to No. 2 successful the rankings connected Monday aft his 3rd last successful 3 clay-court events this season. He won the Monte Carlo Masters and finished runner-up successful the Barcelona Open earlier withdrawing from the Madrid Open due to the fact that of injury.

Having besides won the Madrid Open successful 2022 and 2023, Alcaraz became the 5th antheral to triumph each 3 Masters 1000 clay events aft Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Gustavo Kuerten and Marcelo Rios.