Alcaraz triumphs in Rome: Sinner stopped after 26 wins!

Alcaraz triumphs in Rome: Sinner stopped after 26 wins!

Carlos Alcaraz won his first title in Rome on May 18, 2025. In the final of the International BNL d'Italia The Spaniard prevailed against the Italian Jannik Sinner 7:6(5), 6:1. This marks Alcaraz's 19th title on the ATP Tour and his third tournament victory in 2025. He previously won the tournaments in Rotterdam and Monte Carlo.

The match was the first direct final duel between Alcaraz and Sinner at the Masters 1000 level. Alcaraz took the first set in the tiebreak after fending off two set points at 6-5. The second set was one-sided: Alcaraz quickly went up 5-0 and only allowed Sinner to win one game. The total playing time was 1 hour and 44 minutes, and Sinner suffered its first defeat after 26 consecutive wins. That winning streak had lasted since October 2024, when his last loss came against Alcaraz in a third-set tiebreak at the China Open.

A historic victory

With his third Masters 1000 victory, Alcaraz now becomes the fifth player in history to win all three Masters 1000 tournaments on clay. Also notable is that both players now own 19 ATP singles titles each, making them the most successful male players born in the 2000s. Sinner had the chance at this tournament to become the first male Italian champion in Rome in almost 50 years, after Adriano Panatta achieved that honor in 1976.

Alcaraz, who will move into second place in the world rankings immediately behind Sinner, said he was proud of his mental and tactical performance after the win. He is already optimistic about the upcoming French Open and hopes for a successful title defense. A possible further duel against Sinner in the final of the French Open could be in sight, something the tennis world is eagerly awaiting.

Masters 1000 tournament series

The ATP Tour Masters 1000 is the most important tournament series in men's tennis after the Grand Slam tournaments and the ATP Finals. The series currently includes nine tournaments and was launched in 1990. In these tournaments, players have to fight for important points, including 1000 points for the world rankings for the tournament winner. Novak Đoković holds the record with 40 Masters 1000 titles, underlining the importance and prestigious nature of this tournament series.

The latest edition of the tournament in Rome has once again shown how exciting and competitive the current tennis landscape is, especially with young talents like Alcaraz and Sinner at the forefront.