Carlos Alcaraz has defeated Jannik Sinner in the Rome final, claiming the title in front of the Italian crowd—and nearly handing Sinner a bagel in the process. With this win, Alcaraz extends his head-to-head lead over the world No. 1.
The ATP-1000 tournament in Rome has come to a close. While we’ve already seen champions crowned in the women’s singles and doubles events, all eyes were on the men’s singles final—the tournament’s most anticipated match.
A Cinematic Showdown
The Rome 2025 final felt like it was scripted by top filmmakers. The protagonists? As compelling as ever.
Jannik Sinner has often been compared to a real-life Tony Stark—cool and composed on the outside, yet warm and approachable off-court, as seen in his interactions with teammates and even the Pope. After serving a three-month suspension, Sinner returned to restore order to the men’s game.
In Rome, Sinner started strong with routine wins over Mariano Navone (6–3, 6–4) and Jesper de Jong (6–4, 6–2). He then crushed Casper Ruud (6–0, 6–1). Things got tougher against clay specialist Francisco Cerúndolo, but the Argentine faltered in key moments and lost 6–7, 3–6.
The semifinal against Tommy Paul was rocky. Sinner shockingly lost the first set 0–6, visibly frustrated. But Paul’s lapse in focus allowed Sinner to bounce back and win 0–6, 6–1, 6–3, despite some signs of discomfort in his leg during the final set.
On the other side of the net stood Carlos Alcaraz—the friendly antithesis to Stark. The Spaniard defeated Dušan Lajović (6–3, 6–3), Laslo Djere (7–6, 6–2), and narrowly survived a scare from Karen Khachanov (6–3, 3–6, 7–5). He then took down Jack Draper (6–4, 6–4) and Lorenzo Musetti (6–3, 7–6) in straight sets, though not without some inconsistency.
The Rivalry Heats Up
Strip away the cinematic metaphors, and you’re still left with one of the most compelling rivalries in men’s tennis. Coming into the final, Alcaraz led their head-to-head 5–4. Their last meeting was in the Beijing Masters final, where Alcaraz triumphed in three sets. That loss marked the beginning of Sinner’s now-ended 26-match winning streak.
In Rome, both players were sharp. Sinner fired a 153 km/h forehand winner early in the match. Rally quality was high, points were hard-fought, and neither gave an inch. Alcaraz held serve comfortably in the seventh game and began mixing drop shots into his baseline exchanges.
At 5–6 in the first set, Sinner earned two break points, but Alcaraz held firm. The set was decided in a tiebreak, where the Spaniard took control, earned two set points, and sealed it at the net. The opening set lasted 70 minutes. Sinner hit 5 winners and made 22 unforced errors; Alcaraz hit 9 winners to 19 errors.
Alcaraz Takes Over
Losing the first set seemed to rattle Sinner. He lost his opening service game of the second set to love, handing Alcaraz a crucial advantage. From there, the match became a mental battle—one Alcaraz clearly won.
In just 20 minutes, Alcaraz raced to a 4–0 lead. Sinner struggled to keep up with the pace. He managed to hold serve once and drew some applause with a few impressive shots, but the outcome was clear.
Alcaraz did misfire a smash on one match point, sending it into the stands, but eventually closed out the match in 1 hour 45 minutes with a 7–6(5), 6–1 win. At the net, the two rivals exchanged a warm handshake and hug.
Rome Masters Final – May 18, 2025
Jannik Sinner (ITA) – 0
Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) – 2
Score: 6–7(5), 1–6
This was Alcaraz’s 19th career title, his 7th at the ATP-1000 level, and his 3rd of the season. The win also secures his 30th victory of the year and moves him back to No. 2 in the world, though he still trails Sinner by 1,530 ranking points.
The timing couldn’t be better for Alcaraz as he heads to Roland Garros to defend his title—with momentum firmly on his side.
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