After these three months, coming to Rome and reaching the final means a lot to me," Sinner said after his defeat against Alcaraz.
Jannik Sinner will leave Rome with a positive mindset, having played his seventh consecutive final on the tour, despite a forced three-month break from tennis due to a suspension he served for negligence.
Though defeated by a brilliant Carlos Alcaraz, who managed to take control during the key moments of the final, the world No. 1 arrived at the press conference with a sense of satisfaction:
"Overall, I’m very happy with this tournament. It will give me confidence to perform well in Paris—at least, I hope so. After these three months (of suspension), coming to Rome and reaching the final means a lot to me. It’s a very good lesson. [...]
I’m closer (to my best level) than I expected. There were some very good matches, others less so. But that’s tennis—there are always ups and downs.
Of course, the lack of matches may have affected some decisions. Looking back, there are definitely points I would play differently. Even though I lack match sharpness, I won’t use that as an excuse."
A semifinalist at Roland-Garros last year, Sinner was asked about the final details he will try to fine-tune during his week of preparation:
"To be at my best level, I need to change a few things, especially in my movement. This was a good test to see where I stand on clay, and a good thing to play a final against him before a Grand Slam. Reaching the final on my least preferred surface is already very good. I need to raise my intensity level in Paris.
French Open