Sinner to renew rivalry with Alcaraz in Italian Open final

Jannik Sinner faces Carlos Alcaraz in the Italian Open final after a 26-match winning streak.

Jannik Sinner has gone all the way to the final in his first tournament back from a three-month doping ban, and Carlos Alcaraz is waiting for him in the Italian Open title match.

“Normally when we play each other the level is very high, because we push each other to do things we don't normally do,” Sinner said. ”I'm curious to see what level I'm at.”

The top-ranked Sinner rallied past No. 12 Tommy Paul 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the semifinals on Friday (May 16, 2025) as he attempts to become the first Italian man to lift the Rome trophy since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

Earlier, Alcaraz advanced to his first Rome final by beating Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Sunday's (May 18, 2025) final will mark the first meeting between Sinner and Alcaraz since October, when Alcaraz won the China Open final in a third-set tiebreaker. Alcaraz holds a 6-4 edge in their career meetings and has won three straight against his biggest rival.

But Sinner has not lost since that defeat to Alcaraz in Beijing and is on a 26-match winning streak. He's playing his first tournament since he won his third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.

“He's playing great. I've been watching his matches,” Alcaraz said. “His level is really high right now. Every time that I play against him, is always a battle, always really, really tough. I kind of enjoy (those) moments.”