"It will be a very good test," Sinner eager to face Alcaraz in Rome final
The long-awaited final will indeed take place at the Rome Masters 1000. Fueled by his home crowd, Jannik Sinner defeated Tommy Paul (1-6, 6-0, 6-3) and will now compete for the title in the Eternal City.
To achieve this, the current world No. 1 will have to overcome Carlos Alcaraz, who secured his spot earlier in the day by defeating Lorenzo Musetti (6-3, 7-6). The Spaniard managed to beat the Italian three times last year in as many ATP Tour encounters (accounting for six of Sinner's losses in 2024), but the three-time Grand Slam champion is ready to take on his rival.
"Playing against Carlos (Alcaraz) is a different feeling. We know each other very well by now, and it’s always special to share the court with him. I feel like we both know how to play against each other, so we’ll need to be tactically prepared.
Of course, there will be small differences on my side compared to our last matches, that’s for sure. But on the other hand, it will be a very good test for me—it will show me where I stand.
It’s good for me to play against Carlos before the two Grand Slams (Roland-Garros and Wimbledon). It will give me a clearer idea of what I need to improve. I hope it will be a great match.
No matter what happens on Sunday, it’s already been an excellent tournament for me. Having such a strong run here in Rome feels great," Sinner told *The Tennis Letter* after his match against Paul.
