Alcaraz Continues His Mastery Of Sinner, Wins Rome Title

Carlos Alcaraz, Rome
Carlos Alcaraz (photo: Giampiero Sposito/FITP)

ROME/WASHINGTON, May 18, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz delivered a high-quality display of clay-court tennis from first ball to last ball to win his first Internazionali BNL d’Italia title in Rome Sunday evening. It took his best effort to upset World No. 1 Jannik Sinner – but that’s what he delivered over the course of their one-hour, 43-minute title match at Foro Italico.

While many, if not most, of the Campo Centrale fans were rooting for their home country hero and hoping for Sinner to do what his fellow Italian, Jasmine Paolini, did in winning the Italian Open women’s title a day earlier, by the end, Alcaraz proved to be the better player. He received a warm round of applause for his outstanding triumph. As Alcaraz found out by winning, there’s no place like Rome.

Once Alcaraz secured match point to defeat Sinner, 7-6 (5), 6-1, handing the 23-year-old Italian his first loss of the season after 12 straight victories, it ended a remarkable 26-match winning streak that began after the Spaniard beat Sinner in the Beijing final last September. It was also the 22-year-old Alcaraz’s seventh win over Sinner in their 11th career meeting – and his tour-leading 30th victory of the 2025 season.

“I’m just really happy to get my first Rome [title], hopefully it’s not going to be the last one,” Alcaraz said during his on-court interview with ATP Media before receiving his champion’s trophy. “The first thing I want to say is that I’m just really happy to see Jannik back at this amazing level. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him coming back after three months and making the final of a Masters 1000 in his first tournament [back]. It’s something insane, so I have to congratulate him.”

Alcaraz won his seventh ATP Masters 1000 title – he’s 7-1 in finals – to tie Michael Chang and Alexander Zverev for eighth-most in series history (since 1990). After starting the European spring clay swing by winning the Monte-Carlo trophy, the 22-year-old Alcaraz became the first player since Rafael Nadal in 2018 to win multiple ATP Masters 1000 titles on clay in a season – and the fifth man in the series history (since 1990) to lift trophies at all three clay events (Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome).

The victory over Sinner improved Alcaraz to 10-2 against Top-5 players since the start of last year and he’s 27-2 on clay since May of 2024 – including winning last year’s Roland-Garros crown. It was also the 19th tour-level title for Alcaraz, tying Sinner for the most among players born in the 2000s.

Looking back on Sunday’s final, Sinner and Alcaraz played virtually on equal footing throughout much of the first set. Only one total point separated them through the first 78 points – and three by the end of the set (48-45). In the fifth game, Alcaraz gained a break point but Sinner fought it off and went on to win the 12-point game. Then, Sinner gained a pair of break points – and set points at 6-5 (15-40) – after winning a five-shot skirmish 56 minutes into the final, but Alcaraz fought off both of them. Maybe, it was because Sinner was a bit too eager and made a couple of uncharacteristic unforced errors, the second on a backhand.

Next, Sinner saved a couple of game points much to the crowd’s approval. However, Alcaraz eventually won the 12-point, eight-minute 12th game after Sinner sent a forehand long that ended the 10-shot rally. It was onward to a first-set tie-break.

During the tie-break, Alcaraz jumped out to a 3-0 lead and, soon, gained two set points at 6-4. However, he surrendered the first one with an errant ninth-shot backhand that went wide. Not to worry, though, he won the set on the next point with a 14th-shot flourish, hitting a lunging forehand volley winner while running toward the net. It was Alcaraz’s ninth winner of the set and it came after 70 minutes of superb tennis. It meant that Sinner’s streak of 24 straight sets won against Top-10 opponents had ended.

Then, Alcaraz jumped out to a break lead at the beginning of the second set, winning at love in the second game after taking a 17-shot rally that ended with Sinner hitting a forehand return into the net. He consolidated the break for a 3-0 lead. Then, as the match reached the 90-minute mark, Sinner fell apart – committing several unforced errors from both wings – and was broken, again, to trail 4-0.

Next, Alcaraz consolidated another break – as the unforced errors continued to pile up for Sinner – and took a commanding 5-0 lead to the changeover. The Spaniard had the look of confidence on his face and Sinner didn’t. After the Italian held at love to keep from being bageled, the match was now squarely on Alcaraz’s racquet – and he didn’t waiver. Soon, he had two championship points at 40-15. Sinner saved the first one after Alcaraz air mailed a forehand long. He saved another one, too. However, Alcaraz gained a third championship point and didn’t flinch.

Finally, Alcaraz closed out his seventh career victory over Sinner with a fifth-shot volley winner – and raised his hands in triumph. The two shared a warm embrace at the net. Soon, Alcaraz was seen receiving hugs from his parents and team nearby. He signed the camera lens Grazie Roma ❤️.

Alcaraz proved he was the best man on court throughout the Roman fortnight. He gave a stunning performance of attacking and defensive tennis in beating Sinner and showed why he’s the best clay-court player in the world. Alcaraz finished with 19 winners – 14 of them hit from his forehand side – and made 31 unforced errors, compared to just seven winners for Sinner against 30 unforced errors. Alcaraz won 73 percent of his first-serve points, converted two of three break points and saved both break points he faced. He outpointed Sinner 74-59.

During his post-match news conference, Sinner, although disappointed, looked for positives.

“First set for sure was a little bit of a game-changer,” he said. “But talking general, 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.

“After three months, coming here making this result means a lot to me, a lot to my team also. 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.”

With his first Rome title secured, Alcaraz became the first player to garner three ATP Tour titles in 2025, following earlier triumphs in winning Rotterdam and Monte-Carlo. No doubt, he will be a favorite to win his second French Open title when the Paris fortnight begins next Sunday.

By rising to No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday, Alcaraz and No. 1 Sinner will be on opposite sides of the Roland-Garros draw.

“All eyes are on Paris right now, on Roland-Garros,” Alcaraz said. “Beating Jannik, winning Rome, I think both things mix together and give [me] great confidence going to Paris. I always say ‘The final is not about playing, the final is about winning’. I just repeat [that] approach everytime I play a final.”

Arevalo and Pavic win third Masters doubles title of season

World No. 1 duo Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Mate Pavic of Croatia, who had won six titles together – including Indian Wells and Miami this season – took on unseeded French pair Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul in the men’s doubles final. It was their fifth career meeting and third this season after Arevalo and Pavic won earlier at the Australian Open and later at Monte-Carlo.

As it happened, the No. 1 seeds Arevalo and Pavic won their third ATP Masters 1000 title of the season and seventh ATP Tour crown overall, but had to earn it. They won 6-4, 6-7 (6), 13-11, over Doumbia and Reboul in two hours and eight minutes on Campo Centrale to improve their 2025 win-loss record to 29-7. It took four championship points for Arevalo and Pavic to win the Rome crown, a title that they lost in the final last year. They did it when, at 12-11, Reboul hit a second-serve backhand return into the net.

During the match tie-break, Arevalo and Pavic had championship points at 9-8 and 11-10 and saved a championship point at 10-9 from Doumbia and Reboul. The Salvadoran/Croatian duo won 76 percent of their first-serve points, saved seven of eight break points, converted two of 10 break-point chances and outpointed Doumbia and Reboul 93-77.

It was the 42nd career ATP Tour doubles title for Pavic – ninth at ATP Masters 1000 level – and his third Rome title after winning in 2021-22 with former partner Nikola Mektic of Croatia. For Arevalo, it was his 16th ATP Tour doubles title – fifth at ATP Masters 1000 level – and first Rome crown. He won it with his family and parents watching from the players’ court-side box.

“It means a lot, I’m really emotional right now,” Arevalo said during an on-court interview with ATP Media prior to the trophy ceremony. “I really love this tournament. It’s the first time I’ve played here. I had a connection with Rome, with the city. I’m just really happy that we were able to get through this match and win. It was truly a battle and could have gone either way. Mate and I stayed together, even when we saved match point. It was the key to be able to turn it around and get the title.”

Pavic added: “It gives us confidence, winning a lot of matches, especially a couple of Masters 1000 titles. Winning the important points is the secret.”

Around Foro Italico

Jasmine Paolini, who made history by being the first Italian woman in 40 years to win the Rome women’s singles title, returned to the stage of her triumph with her friend and doubles partner, Sara Errani, and won the Rome women’s doubles title.

Sunday afternoon on Campo Centrale, which filled in anticipation of the men’s final later in the day, Paolini hit an impeccable cross-court forehand winner on a deciding point to give her and Errani a 6-4, 7-5 victory over unseeded Veronika Kudermetova of Russia and Elise Mertens of Belgium in an hour and 45 minutes.

The reigning Olympic gold medalists and defending Rome titlists, who rallied from 0-4 down in each set, combined to hit 20 winners, made just 14 unforced errors, and converted seven of 14 break points. They were outpointed by Kudermetova and Mertens 65-64. The Russian/Belgian duo combined to hit 30 winners, made 28 unforced errors and converted five of 12 break points.

“It was an incredible atmosphere,” Errani said during the champions’ news conference afterward. “The stadium was full of people, so was so nice. Was a tough match, four-love both sets. Not easy match. They play so good; they play so strong. But we just try to fight, to stay there, try to find solutions.”

Paolini, who became the first player since Vera Zvonareva in 2009 at Indian Wells to win both the singles and doubles titles at the WTA 1000 tournament as well as the first to lift both singles and doubles trophies in Rome since Monica Seles in 1990, summed up her feelings this way: “It’s amazing. It’s been two amazing weeks, incredible. I don’t know what to say. It’s just perfect, you know?”

Errani and Paolini improved to 12-7 in 2025 – 50-21 overall – and the Rome title is their second of the season after winning Doha earlier this year and sixth WTA title overall. It was the 33rd career WTA doubles title for Errani and eighth for Paolini. Errani and Paolini are the first players to win back-to-back Rome doubles titles since Ashleigh Barry did it in 2018 with Demi Schuurs and in 2019 with Victoria Azarenka.

Kudermetova and Mertens (8-2) were competing in their second straight WTA 1000 final after reaching the title match two weeks ago in Madrid. They came into the final 43-10 overall and had won three titles together.

By the numbers

Jannik Sinner is the third Italian man to reach the Rome final in Open Era – and the first since Adriano Panatta in 1978. He attempts to become the first home champion in Rome since Panatta won the title in 1976.

“Quotable …”

“I’m proud of myself, with the way I approached the match mentally. Tactically, I think I played pretty well from the first point until the last one. I didn’t do a rollercoaster. … I maintained my good level throughout the whole match, so I’m really proud about everything I did today.”

– Rome champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, during his on-court interview with ATP Media, after defeating top-seeded Jannik Sinner of Italy.

 

Search

Brigitte Urban
Tennis photographer
camera lens

International Blogs

Dietmar Kaspar

Tommy Haas: „Bei den Grand Slams bin ich Traditionalist“

June 4, 2025

Michael Dickens

The Warrior: Rafael Nadal And His Kingdom Of Clay

May 16, 2025

Marc Raffel

Zum 11. Mal ATP Tennis an Rhein & Ruhr in Meerbusch

March 28, 2025

Florian Heer

Arzel Mevellec über die Entwicklung des Rwanda Challenger: „Wir lernen jedes Mal dazu!”

March 5, 2025

Podcast

Categories