ROME/WASHINGTON, May 18, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)
When World No. 1 Jannik Sinner meets No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia championship match at Foro Italico Sunday, each competitor will be vying for a first Rome title in his 25th ATP Tour-level final. Among the best and brightest tennis stars under age 25, Sinner and Alcaraz have met 10 times previously and the 22-year-old Spaniard leads their head-to-head 6-4. They have split two previous meetings on clay.
However, as they face each other in a final for the first time at the ATP Masters 1000 level – and also for the first time since Alcaraz prevailed in their Beijing final last September, Sinner has been nearly unstoppable. Since losing to Alcaraz in China, the 23-year-old Italian has gone on a remarkable 26-match winning streak – he’s undefeated in 2025 with a 12-0 win-loss record – and Sinner is already chasing after his 20th career ATP Tour title, going 19-5 in finals.
JANNIK ⚔️ CARLOS
The dream final is ON! @InteBNLdItalia | #IBI25 pic.twitter.com/JPGGEmGuiB
— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 16, 2025
Both Sinner and Alcaraz have dropped just one set during the Roman fortnight. For Sinner, it came Friday night against No. 11 seed Tommy Paul during a come-from-behind 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 semifinal victory, while Alcaraz lost his set in the fourth round against Karen Khachanov in a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 win.
If Sinner were to prevail on Campo Centrale, he would extend his streak of consecutive sets won against Top-10 players to 26. It would also be his fifth ATP Masters 1000 crown – and first on clay. Meanwhile, if Alcaraz comes out ahead, winning in two sets, he would be the first player to defeat Sinner without losing a set since Novak Djokovic in 2023 at the Nitto ATP Finals, breaking a streak of 94 consecutive matches, and first on clay since Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated the South Tyrolean, 7-6 (5), 6-2 three years ago in the Rome quarterfinals.
“I’m happy. Happy to be here in the final,” Sinner said during his post-match news conference Friday evening after coming back from a set down to defeat Paul. “It’s great coming back and making final here in Rome. It means a lot to me.
“So, let’s see what’s coming Sunday.”
Sinner was asked how he was prevailing physically after going the distance against Paul. “I hope to recover in the best possible way,” he said. “Since a couple of matches a blister under the foot, which then some other muscles, they work. I’m not concerned about my leg. Hopefully, the blister is going to be healed as fast as possible.
“But in any case, as I said, there are no excuses, no? I’m in the final. I give it the best I have Sunday, then we see what’s coming.”
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
As for Alcaraz, the Spaniard will be bidding to lift his seventh ATP Masters 1000 title – he’s 6-1 in finals – which would tie him with Michael Chang and Alexander Zverev for eighth-most in the history of the series, which dates back 35 years to 1990. After starting the European spring clay season with a title triumph at Monte-Carlo, Alcaraz has a chance to become the first player since Rafael Nadal to win multiple clay ATP Masters 1000 titles in a season and just the fifth man to lift titles at all three clay events – Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome.
Alcaraz has been impressive in compiling a 9-2 win-loss record against Top-5 competition since the start of the 2024 season and he’s 26-2 on clay since May of last year, including his title run at Roland-Garros. He’s also leading the ATP Tour this season in total victories with 29, while looking for a tour-leading third title of 2025.
“I always say that you can be better,” Alcaraz said Friday during his post-match news conference, after defeating No. 8 seed Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets. “Obviously, I’ve been trying to improve after every day, after every match, after every practice. I think is an opportunity to be better, to improve.
“I’m going to say I’m ready for that final. I’m excited to play my first final here in Rome. I have a lot of confidence. I know that I’m feeling great. I’m playing great tennis. Always can be better.
“Hopefully, in the final, I’m going to approach the match in the right way and play even better. But right now, I’m really happy with the level that I’m playing and I made improvement since the beginning of the tournament.”
VAMS#IBI25 pic.twitter.com/c781owF2FO
— Internazionali BNL d’Italia (@InteBNLdItalia) May 16, 2025
Both players know each other quite well and each appreciates the special feeling in sharing the same court, especially in a final.
“It’s just a great test for me to see where I am. It’s great for me to play against Carlos before the two Grand Slams,” Sinner admits. “That for me is good because I see where I have to improve, what I have to do better.”
If Sinner were to lift the trophy in Rome Sunday evening, it would make a clean sweep of the singles finals for Italy following fellow Italian Jasmine Paolini‘s impressive title win over Coco Gauff on Saturday to become just the second Italian woman to win Rome – and the first in 40 years.
“But yeah, hopefully it’s going to be a good match. I feel like this is the most important part,” Sinner added. “Yeah, but in any case what’s coming out Sunday, a great tournament from my side, making such a run here, it feels good.”
SINNER VS ALCARAZ: EPISODE XI ⚔️
For the first time *EVER* in a Masters 1000 final, it’s Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz!!!#IBI25 pic.twitter.com/zwagMHIla3
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 16, 2025
Around Foro Italico
On Saturday, No. 1 seeds Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Mate Pavic of Croatia advanced to their fourth doubles final of the season – all at ATP Masters 1000 level – following their 7-6 (2), 6-1 semifinal over unseeded Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski of Great Britain in one hour and 25 minutes on Campo Centrale. The co-World No. 1s won 81 percent of their first-serve points, converted four of eight break points and outpointed the British pair 66-49.
In Sunday’s final, Arevalo and Pavic, who in March won titles at Indian Wells and Miami and were finalists earlier this month in Madrid, will face Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul of France, who upset No. 2 seeds Harri Heliovaara of Finland and Henry Patten of Great Britain, 7-6 (5), 6-4, in one hour and 34 minutes on Campo Centrale. The French duo won 85 percent of their first-serve points, converted two of five break points and outpointed their opponents 70-62.
Nobody:
Literally nobody:
Doumbia & Reboul after winning the semi: ❌#IBI25 pic.twitter.com/q25QpFsI7d— Internazionali BNL d’Italia (@InteBNLdItalia) May 17, 2025
By the numbers
Jannik Sinner became the third Italian man to reach the Rome final in the Open Era on Friday. He’s the first since Adriano Panatta in 1978. On Sunday, he will attempt to become the first home champion since Panatta in 1976.
“Quotable …”
“He’s playing great. I’ve been watching his matches. His level is really high right now. Every time that I play against him is always a battle. It’s always really, really tough. I kind of enjoy those moments, as well.”
– World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, during his post-match news conference Friday, speaking of Jannik Sinner.
