ROME/WASHINGTON, May 17, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner entered his first Internazionali BNL d’Italia semifinal on a career-best 25-match winning streak and brought a 3-1 career head-to-head lead into his match against World No. 12 Tommy Paul.
In their only previous encounter on clay, which occurred three years ago in 2022 at Madrid, Sinner saved three match points to win. It’s something that might have been in the back of his mind when he renewed his rivalry with the American No. 2. What Sinner certainly didn’t expect was for Paul to come out of the starting gate so quickly – and to win the opening set so one-sidedly based upon the 6-1 score.
Fortunately for Sinner, the match was a best-of-3 sets semifinal – not a best-of-1 set shootout – and by the end of the one-hour, 43-minute tussle against Paul, the 23-year-old South Tyrolean from San Candido rallied to win 1-6, 6-0, 6-3. He’s safely through to his seventh ATP Masters 1000 final and is just the fourth Italian man to reach a final on clay at this level.
ROME. FINAL. JANNIK.
Sinner makes history in front of his home crowd#IBI25 | @atptour pic.twitter.com/riYiESmFm3
— Internazionali BNL d’Italia (@InteBNLdItalia) May 16, 2025
Just as importantly for Sinner – and for Italian fans, who filled 10,500-seat Campo Centrale at Foro Italico in Rome Friday night – he’s just the third Italian man in the Open Era going back to 1968 who has reached the Italian Open final in Rome. Sinner joins Adriano Panatta, who twice was a finalist in 1976 and 1978, and Antonio Zugarelli in 1977.
Sinner’s slow start was uncharacteristic of his other outings during the Roman fortnight – especially considering that just a night earlier, he won a one-sided quarterfinal victory over World No. 7 Casper Ruud, 6-0, 6-1. Fast forward, Sinner made a number of unforced errors and Paul won the first set with great depth of game.
However, Sinner fought back hard and long – and cut down his errors, too. Once he stepped inside the baseline, he began to dictate rallies. Soon, it was the top-seeded Sinner winning the second set just as convincingly as the 28-year-old Paul had won the first.
At a set each, it was a one-set fight to the finish and Sinner raced to a 3-0 lead, broke Paul for a 4-2 advantage and never wavered after.
Roaring back to victory 〽️@janniksin becomes the 3rd Italian man in the Open Era to reach the #IBI25 final with his 3-set win over Paul! pic.twitter.com/k3xPTMOe3Y
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 16, 2025
“I just tried to stay there mentally,” Sinner said during his on-court interview with ATP Media. “Today the conditions were completely different. It was much colder, heavier. I struggled with that a little bit and he broke me straight away. I tried to stay there, mentally what might work better. I stayed there in the first set. Winning the one game for me was very important. Tennis can change quickly. …
“Today I showed that every moment is crucial and I am very happy about that and very happy to be in the final.”
Sinner added: “If I want to the win Sunday, I have to play 100 percent for sure. Carlos played some incredible tennis today. Let’s see what’s coming from my side. It’s incredible to be in the final.”
A man on a mission.#IBI25 | @atptour pic.twitter.com/oMPYNG0gqf
— Internazionali BNL d’Italia (@InteBNLdItalia) May 16, 2025
By winning his semifinal over Paul, Sinner will rekindle his rivalry with World No. 3 Carlo Alcaraz of Spain, who was an earlier semifinal winner over another Italian, World No. 9 Lorenzo Musetti, 6-3, 7-6 (4), in two hours and three minutes. It will be the 11th time Sinner and Alcaraz have faced each other – the third time on clay – and first since the five-set thriller last year in the Roland-Garros semifinals, which was won by the 22-year-old Spaniard. Alcaraz leads the head-to-head series 6-4.
“It’s just a great test for me to see where I am,” Sinner said during his post-match news conference. “It’s great for me to play against Carlos before the two Grand Slams. That for me is good because I see where I have to improve, what I have to do better.”
Sinner, who is playing in just his second tournament of the year following his title run at the Australian Open in January, will attempt to become just the second Italian men’s singles champion in Rome after Panatta’s triumph over Guillermo Vilas of Argentina in 1976.
JANNIK ⚔️ CARLOS
The dream final is ON! @InteBNLdItalia | #IBI25 pic.twitter.com/JPGGEmGuiB
— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 16, 2025
By the numbers
Since the ATP Masters 1000 series began in 1990, Jannik Sinner is one of just four Italians to reach a Masters 1000 final – and Rome will be his seventh. The others: Matteo Berrettini, Fabio Fognini and Lorenzo Musetti, each have been to one Masters 1000 final.
“Quotable …”
“You know, these kind of matches I need. I’m happy how we handled this kind of situation, especially going on court and not feeling great. I felt like Tommy was playing some great tennis in the beginning.
“I changed little bit tactically which then helped me to go through the second set.
“Third set, I just tried to start off in a very positive way, which I’ve done. Then he broke me back. Then was this game on 3-2 which was the most crucial game of the match I felt like.
“I’m happy. Happy to be here in the final. It’s great coming back and making final here in Rome. It means a lot to me.”
– Top seed Jannik Sinner, during his post-match news conference Friday night, after rallying to beat No. 11 seed Tommy Paul in three sets to advance to the Rome final on Sunday against Carlos Alcaraz.
