Tennis rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are scheduled to face off in the final of the Italian Open on Sunday.
World No. 1 Sinner will compete in front of his home crowd in Rome. This marks his first tournament appearance since returning from a break from the sport.
To reach the highly anticipated final against Alcaraz, Sinner overcame Tommy Paul in their semifinal match with a score of 1-6, 6-0, 6-3. Alcaraz secured his spot in his first Rome final by defeating local favorite Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-6(4).
Alcaraz commented on Sinner`s performance, stating, `I think everybody saw the match against Caspar was almost perfect. I was admiring that game as well so let`s see [in the final].`
He added about Sinner, `He`s playing great tennis the first time after that three months. It seems like he didn`t stop playing. It is incredible, honestly. I admire him the way he`s playing here in front of his people.`
Sunday`s final will be the first contest between Sinner and Alcaraz since October, when Alcaraz won the China Open final in a deciding third-set tiebreaker. Alcaraz currently holds a 6-4 advantage in their career head-to-head record and has won their last three matches.
Despite his recent record against Alcaraz, Sinner arrives at the final in dominant form, having not lost a match since that defeat in Beijing. He is currently on a remarkable 26-match winning streak. His impressive run includes winning his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.
Sinner acknowledged the challenge, telling Sky Sports, `I have to raise my level. That`s for sure.`
He also spoke about the conditions and the significance of the final, saying, `Carlos played some lights out tennis also today, was very breezy, very windy so it was difficult. I`m happy to be here. It`s a special occasion for me here in Rome, playing the final after three months, so it`s amazing.`
Sinner is aiming to become the first Italian man to win the Rome title since Adriano Panatta achieved the feat in 1976. The Italian Open serves as a crucial warm-up event ahead of the French Open, which is scheduled to begin on May 25.
Reflecting on the upcoming final, Sinner stated, `I find myself in a final, which for me is important. To face Carlos before a Grand Slam also, trying to understand what I have to do better in between this one week where I can work on things and stuff so I`m happy.`
`I`m going to enjoy it. I`m going to give 100 percent of what I have and let`s see what I can do,` he concluded.
