After a three-month absence, Jannik Sinner returned to the tour at the Italian Open and reached the final against Carlos Alcaraz. While the Spaniard won the title, it confirmed that their rivalry could follow in the footsteps of the epic battles between the ‘Big Three’.
With the win, Alcaraz now has a 7-4 win-loss record against the Italian. He has defeated Sinner in their last four matches. They all were high-stakes battles, with two semifinals (Roland Garros and Indian Wells in 2024) and two finals (Beijing and Rome).
However, Italian legend Adriano Panatta, who won the French Open in 1976, still believes that Sinner will be the most successful between the two. “I’m convinced that the transition will happen soon, because Jannik deserves it. He reminded everyone why he is number one,” he said, according to Punto de Break.
Panatta wondered how the final would have gone if Sinner had “maintained continuity without that three-month break, which was so unfair. Alcaraz played an incredible match, extremely precise, but credit to Sinner as well, who kept it close for as long as he could.”
Finally, he criticized Alcaraz for lacking consistency: “I remain convinced that Sinner will win more than Alcaraz over the course of their careers, because he’s more consistent, whereas the Spaniard only seems to be [consistent] when he plays against the Italian. There’s no doubt that when Alcaraz manages to combine the best parts of his game, the level he can reach is the highest on the tour.”
Sinner and Alcaraz are the favorites for Roland Garros
With Sinner back in the picture, the French Open presents a major question on the ATP Tour. Alcaraz, who also won Monte Carlo, appears to be the top favorite for Roland Garros, while Casper Ruud, who won Madrid for the first time and has been one of the strongest clay-court players in recent years, is also in the mix.
Of course, Sinner, who defeated Ruud 6–0, 6–1 in the Rome semifinals, delivered a strong performance, and no one doubts his ability to make a deep run in Paris. However, the draw, which will be announced on Thursday, could play a major role in determining who ends up winning the second major of the year.