Carlos Alcaraz has acknowledged the immense challenge of facing Jannik Sinner in the final of the Italian Open, should the two stars meet on Sunday in Rome. The Spanish world No. 3 secured his place in the final after a hard-fought 6-3, 7-6 victory over Lorenzo Musetti.
Awaiting him is the winner of the other semi-final between top seed Sinner and American Tommy Paul. Despite plans to go out for dinner, Alcaraz revealed he would still be following the outcome of that match.
“My phone is going to be there watching the match,” he said. “I need to know who I’ll be playing. I want to see how they’re performing.”
While Alcaraz stopped short of predicting a winner, he had high praise for Sinner’s performance throughout the tournament. The Italian, returning from a three-month doping suspension, rallied from a set down to beat Paul 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the semis.
“He’s playing great,” Alcaraz said. “His level is really high right now. Every time I play him, it’s a battle. It’s always really tough, but I enjoy those moments. Facing him in the final, especially here in Rome with the crowd behind him, would be even more difficult.”
The anticipated final would mark the 11th career meeting between Alcaraz and Sinner. The Spaniard currently leads their head-to-head 6-4 and won their most recent encounter in Beijing last year.
Together, the pair boast seven Grand Slam titles, with Sinner claiming the Australian Open earlier this year. With Roland-Garros on the horizon, the Rome final is poised to offer a crucial psychological edge ahead of the French Open, where Alcaraz is the defending champion.
