Men's tennis world number one and Italy's own Jannik Sinner failed to triumph in Rome's Italian Open.
The winning streak, which began in Beijing, came to a halt once again in front of Spain's Carlos Alcaraz. The world number two won the Open for the first time, overcoming Sinner in two sets with a score of 7-6, 6-1, in one hour and 43 minutes of play.
For Sinner, this was his return to the court after a 104-day absence. Despite the defeat, the balance of his direct clashes with Alcaraz is now four wins and seven losses.
Italy will still have to wait to see one of its players win at the Foro Italico, a goal that has not been achieved since Adriano Panatta won back in 1976.
"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 I'm super happy to have won Rome," Alcaraz said after the match.
"Bravo, Carlos. You did a great job. You are the man to beat in Paris. Right now, you are the strongest on Earth," Sinner said in turn.
For the domestic team, however, the Italian Open was still a great success. Jasmine Paolini won the final on Saturday against US player Coco Gauff, a trophy won by an Italian after 40 years.
Paired with Sara Errani on Sunday, Paolini also won the women's doubles against Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens.
