Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in a blockbuster summit clash on Sunday to secure the Italian Open title. It marked the end of Sinner’s 26-match winning streak, which had begun after his last loss to the Spaniard at the ATP 500 event in Beijing last year.
The Italian, who fell short of becoming the first man from his country to win the Italian Open since Adriano Panatta in 1976, later reflected on the match and opened up on the defeat.
Jannik Sinner Confident Heading Into the French Open Despite Italian Open Heartbreak
Alcaraz entered the match having already played three finals this season, including a title run on clay in Monte-Carlo. Sinner, meanwhile, returned from a three-month suspension, yet showed no signs of rust during his campaign.
The Spaniard stole the opening set in a hard-fought tiebreak, 7-6(5), fending off two set points early on. Sinner struggled to maintain his level in the second, losing momentum and ultimately the set 1-6. The victory marked Alcaraz’s third title of the season and 19th overall, just ahead of the 2025 French Open.
The straight-sets defeat in the final, however, did little to shake Sinner’s confidence, as he saw the runner-up finish after a three-month absence, as a boost heading into the clay-court Slam.
“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,” he said in his post-match press conference.
Olè olè olè olè, Sinner Sinner 📣
It’s been an unforgettable tournament for Jannik and the Roman crowd ❤️#IBI25 pic.twitter.com/0CWMtby9G0
— Internazionali BNL d'Italia (@InteBNLdItalia)
Sinner expressed joy for being with his family and remained optimistic despite the setback.
“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,” he added.
With the win against Sinner, Alcaraz improved his overall head-to-head advantage to 7-4. The Spaniard also remains the only player to defeat the Italian in a tour final since the start of 2024.
“It Was a Good, Good Tournament”: Jannik Sinner Following Italian Open Final Defeat
Later in the press conference, Sinner reflected on his Italian Open campaign, calling the overall experience fruitful. The Italian felt deeply supported by the home crowd, and while acknowledging areas to improve ahead of Roland Garros, he felt closer to top form than expected.
“Yeah, experience amazing, no? It’s something very, very special playing here in Italy, in Rome. They pick me up like a small child, no? The support was amazing. For sure there are some things like we saw today what we have to improve if we want to do good in Paris. I am closer than expected in a way of everything,” he said.
“But in the other way, it was good. It was a great week for me. Some matches incredibly well, some matches could be better. But this is tennis. It’s a lot of ups and downs. But no, everything together, it was a good, good tournament,” he added.
Thanks to his dominant run and eventually a triumph in Rome, Alcaraz climbed to the No. 2 spot in the ATP rankings, while Sinner, who secured 650 points with a runner-up finish, continued his No. 1 reign.
