Sinner and Alcaraz Create Ideal Final at ATP Masters Rome

ROME, FRIDAY – After consistently competing since the beginning of the season over the past two years, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will meet for the first time in the fifth month of the 2025 season. The two best male singles tennis players will face each other in the final of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome.

Alcaraz secured his place in the final after winning the semifinal match against Lorenzo Musetti with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (4) on the clay courts of Foro Italico, Rome, Italy, on Friday (16/5/2025). After completing his semifinal on Friday night local time or early Saturday (17/5/2025) Indonesian time, Sinner confirmed that he would extend his rivalry with Alcaraz. Sinner defeated Tommy Paul 1-6, 6-0, 6-3.

The meeting between Sinner and Alcaraz in the final of Rome will take place on Sunday, a day after the women's singles final between Cori Gauff and Jasmine Paolini at the WTA 1000 level. Gauff has won two out of three encounters with Paolini, but Paolini emerged victorious in their most recent meeting in the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 Stuttgart, a month ago.

Sinner and Alcaraz are the two best male singles tennis players in 2023 and 2024. Although Alcaraz is currently ranked third in the world, below Sinner (1st) and Alexander Zverev (2nd), his performance is better and more consistent compared to Zverev.

After meeting in the early rounds of the tournament during their first two encounters, Sinner and Alcaraz have more frequently faced each other in the semifinals or finals since 2022. Out of ten meetings, seven of them took place on the grand stage of ATP Masters 1000 and Grand Slam events. Alcaraz, the 22-year-old Spanish tennis player, leads with a record of 6-4 and has won the last three encounters that took place in 2024.

The ATP 500 final in Beijing in October 2024 will be the last competition before they meet again seven months later. In fact, Sinner and Alcaraz typically compete around the beginning of the season, as seen in the Indian Wells Masters in March 2023 and 2024.

The delayed meeting in 2025 occurred because Sinner underwent a three-month suspension after winning the Australian Open in January. The Italian tennis player is serving the competition ban due to a doping case from a year ago.

Sinner will only be able to compete again in Rome, from May 7 to 18, at the last Masters 1000 tournament before the French Open Grand Slam, which will take place from May 25 to June 8, 2025. Due to this penalty, Sinner missed the Masters tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid.

Every time I play against Sinner, it's always a tough battle between us, but I always enjoy it. - Carlos Alcaraz -

When Sinner was absent from the tournament, Alcaraz's performance was not very good. He failed to defend his title at the Indian Wells Masters and was eliminated in the second round in Miami.

The performance of the 22-year-old tennis player improved again as the competition took place on clay courts. He reached the finals in three consecutive tournaments, namely the Monte Carlo Masters, ATP 500 Barcelona, and Rome Masters.

Alcaraz became the champion in Monte Carlo after defeating Musetti in the final, but lost to Holger Rune in the Barcelona final. After that, he missed the Madrid Masters due to an abdominal muscle injury, and then returned to compete in Rome.

"I and Carlos have known each other's games for a while. We need to prepare the right tactics. Small details seem to change and can affect the match. This is a good test to assess my level of play after being absent from competition," Sinner stated on the official ATP website.

If he wins against Alcaraz, Sinner will become the second Italian tennis player to win the Rome Masters after Adriano Pantanna in 1976. The 23-year-old player has this opportunity as he will receive more support from the audience in Rome.

Sinner could also beat Alcaraz in either of their two clay-court meetings, despite trailing in head-to-head record. Sinner won on clay in Umag, Croatia in 2022, and Alcaraz beat Sinner at Roland Garros, Paris in the 2024 French Open semifinals.

However, Sinner also needs to be cautious as he cannot move freely during the semifinal due to a blister on his foot. "There is a small blister on my foot since the third round. It makes it difficult for me to move well and it feels more painful today. However, that will not be an excuse because I can draw energy from the audience during the final," said Sinner.

Alcaraz, who completed the semifinal first, has prepared his mentality to face Sinner even though he does not yet know who his opponent will be. "Jannik is playing very well here. His level of play is very high. Every time I face him, there is always a tough battle between us, but I always enjoy it," said Alcaraz. (afp/reuters)

Sinner – Alcaraz Head to Head Record (4-6)

ATP 500 Beijing 2024 Final, Alcaraz wins 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (3)

2024 French Open semifinals, Alcaraz wins 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3

2024 Indian Wells Masters semifinals, Alcaraz wins 1-6, 6-3, 6-2

ATP 500 Beijing 2023 semifinals, Sinner wins 7-6 (4), 6-1

2023 Miami Masters semifinals, Sinner wins 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2

2023 Indian Wells Masters semifinals, Alcaraz wins 7-6 (4), 6-3

2022 US Open quarter-finals, Alcaraz wins 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-7 (0), 7-5, 6-3

ATP 250 Umag 2022 Final, Sinner wins 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-1

Wimbledon 2022 Round IV, Sinner wins 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-3

2021 Paris Masters Round III, Alcaraz wins 7-6 (1), 7-5