World number one Jannik Sinner fell short in his home country as Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz won the Italian Open in Rome. Alcaraz, ranked number two in the world, defeated Sinner in straight sets, 7-6, 6-1, in a match that lasted one hour and 43 minutes.
The loss ended Sinner’s impressive winning streak, which had started in Beijing. It was his first match back after 104 days away from the court. Despite the defeat, Sinner still holds a respectable record against Alcaraz, with four wins and seven losses in their head-to-head matchups.
Italy continues to wait for a homegrown champion at the Foro Italico. The last Italian to win the tournament was Adriano Panatta in 1976.
After the match, Alcaraz praised Sinner’s performance. “I’m happy to see Jannik back at this level. It’s crazy what he did. I congratulate him. I’m super happy to see him back and even happier to have won in Rome,” he said.
Sinner returned the compliment: “Bravo, Carlos. You did a great job. You are the man to beat in Paris. Right now, you are the strongest on Earth.”
Despite Sinner’s loss, Italy had plenty to celebrate at the tournament. Jasmine Paolini made history by winning the women’s singles final on Saturday, defeating American Coco Gauff. It was the first time in 40 years that an Italian woman won the title.
Paolini followed that up with another victory on Sunday, teaming with Sara Errani to win the women’s doubles final. The pair beat Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens to secure the trophy.
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