Rome was on the brink of a fairytale tennis weekend.
The sun was shining, the home crowd was electric, and Italy’s biggest tennis star, Jannik Sinner, was ready to complete a storybook return at the Italian Open.
But standing in his way was Carlos Alcaraz, and the young Spaniard had other plans.
With precision and poise, Alcaraz halted Sinner’s run in its tracks, winning the final 7-6, 6-1 and silencing the roaring Italian crowd.
It wasn’t just a victory—it was a statement.
Sinner’s Storybook Run Ends with a Bump
Sinner’s return to the spotlight had been full of magic.
After serving a three-month suspension for unintentional doping, this was his first event back—and what a comeback it had been.
The Italian crowd welcomed him like a hero.
He played inspired tennis, met the Pope, and seemed destined to lift the trophy on home soil.
Add to that Jasmine Paolini’s incredible double victory in women’s singles and doubles (alongside Sara Errani), and Italy was ready to celebrate one of its greatest tennis moments.
A win from Sinner would’ve made it the perfect tennis weekend in Rome.
But Alcaraz wasn’t there for the romance of the story—he was there to win.
Alcaraz Shows Why He’s Still Sinner’s Kryptonite
This was a clash of two of the brightest stars in the sport, but Alcaraz simply had the edge.
With this victory, the 22-year-old improved his head-to-head record against Sinner to 7-4, including winning their last four meetings.
Sinner had been unbeatable recently, riding a 26-match win streak, only broken by—you guessed it—Alcaraz, in Beijing.
And before that? Another 16-match streak.
The pattern is becoming clear: Alcaraz is the one player Sinner can’t seem to get past, at least for now.