Tennis will have its dream final at the Rome Masters 1000

The Rome Masters 1000 already has its two finalists, and the final promises to be high-voltage: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz , the best tennis players in the current ranking, will face each other this Sunday in a final that has all the ingredients.

The Italian, world number one and a firm favorite with the home crowd, struggled more than expected against Tommy Paul, but recovered in time to advance to the final after winning in three sets. Earlier, Alcaraz had already qualified to defeat Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets.

ARGENTINE NEWS BAIRES, Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning a match. He will be one of the main events of the Australian Open round of 16. Photo/ (Xinhua/Xu Yanan)/NA

Sinner returned to the tour after a three-month doping ban and quickly demonstrated that his tennis style is still intact. On his way to the final, he convincingly dispatched Mariano Navone (6-3, 6-4), Jesper De Jong (6-4, 6-2), Francisco Cerúndolo (7-6, 6-3), and Casper Ruud (6-0, 6-1), putting in solid performances and consistently earning praise from the Roman crowd. However, his level dipped early on against Paul, who capitalized on the Italian's errors to take the first set by a resounding 6-1 in less than half an hour.

With the score against him, Sinner reacted. The world No. 1 showed his superiority, relied on the energy of the stadium, and quickly took control of the match. With an early break in the second set, he put together a run of nine consecutive games that allowed him to turn the tables. Although he had to work hard to seal the victory, he ultimately prevailed convincingly: 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 in one hour and 43 minutes.

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the top favorite. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Before this competition, Sinner's only tournament of the year was the Australian Open, where he was crowned champion. With this semifinal victory, his 2025 record remains unblemished: 12 wins in 12 matches. Adding up his numbers from last season, the Italian has accumulated 85 wins in his last 91 matches, figures that reflect his absolute dominance.

In the final, he faces Carlos Alcaraz, an old acquaintance with whom he maintains a fierce rivalry. The Spaniard was responsible for three of Sinner's six most recent losses, with wins in the semifinals of Indian Wells and Roland Garros 2024, and in the final of the ATP 500 in Beijing. The Murcia native leads 6-4 in the tournament.