Defeating Sinner, Alcaraz won the championship at the Italian Open

(Dan Tri) - Carlos Alcaraz did not miss his chance at the Italian Open in Rome when he defeated home star Jannik Sinner on the night of May 18 to win the seventh ATP Masters 1000 title of his career.

Carlos Alcaraz produced a masterclass to win 7-6(5), 6-1, ending Sinner's 26-match winning streak. Alcaraz saved two set points in the tense opening set before continuing his winning streak in the 1 hour and 44 minute match to claim his 19th ATP title, tying him with Sinner for the most titles among players born in the 2000s.

Carlos Alcaraz becomes the champion of the 2025 Italian Open (Photo: Getty).

Alcaraz said after the win: "I'm really happy to win my first Rome title, hopefully not my last. The first thing I want to say is that I'm really happy to see Sinner back at this great level. I'm sure it's not easy for him to come back after three months and reach the Masters 1000 final. It's a surprise, so I congratulate him."

"I'm proud of myself, with the way I approached the match mentally. Tactically, I think I played pretty well from the first point to the last. My form wasn't up and down. I maintained a good form throughout the whole match, so I'm really proud of everything I did today," Alcaraz added.

With the win, Alcaraz improved to 7-4 in the series against Sinner and became the first player to win three ATP Tour titles this season, following victories in Rotterdam and Monte Carlo. Alcaraz leads the Tour with 30 wins in 2025.

World No. 1 Sinner was playing his first event since winning the Australian Open in January and was aiming to become the first Italian men's champion in Rome since Adriano Panatta in 1976. However, he was unable to hold off Alcaraz after the Spaniard found his rhythm, and Sinner will regret a misplaced backhand he hit on his second set point in game 12 of the first set.

Alcaraz was forced to withdraw from the Masters 1000 in Madrid with an adductor injury, but he quickly found his form in Rome, dropping just one set en route to the title. Alcaraz is 27-2 on clay since last May, which gives him confidence heading into Roland Garros to defend his title.

"All eyes are on Paris right now, on Roland Garros. Beating Sinner, winning in Rome, both of those things come together and give me great confidence going into Paris. I always say that a final is not just about playing, it's about winning. I repeat this approach every time I play a final," Alcaraz shared.

Jannik Sinner could not stop Alcaraz from winning the championship (Photo: Getty).

Alcaraz, who plays a versatile game on clay, was also comfortable behind his serve in the final against Sinner. Statistically, the Spaniard lost just six of his first 27 points on serve in the opening set, saving all the break points he faced.

After ending Sinner's 24-set unbeaten streak against top-10 players, Alcaraz kept the momentum going in the second set, taking the Italian from the baseline. Alcaraz deployed a series of superb defensive shots and signature drop shots en route to his fourth straight win over Sinner.

Sinner defeated Madrid Open champion Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals with just one game to spare, but he could not maintain that form against Alcaraz. The 23-year-old can reflect on a strong performance in the capital, where he has picked up speed on his return to action after a lengthy layoff.

"The first set definitely changed the game. But overall I'm very happy about the tournament. Being in the final gives me hope, confidence to play some good tennis in Paris. We'll see what happens there. After three months, reaching the final means a lot to me, as well as to my team. We've worked very hard to get to this point," Sinner said after the defeat.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/danh-bai-sinner-alcaraz-len-ngoi-vo-dich-tai-italian-open-20250519064624130.htm