Carlos Alcaraz defeated hometown favorite and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in straight sets on Sunday at the 2025 Italian Open.
5 Things We Learned From Carlos Alcaraz’s Italian Open Win
Let’s break down a few things we learned we learned after Carlos Alcaraz’s win at the 2025 Italian Open.
1. It is difficult to immediately be competitive in professional tennis after a long layoff
Whether it is childbirth, injury, suspension, or a mental health break, rejoining the tour requires a reacclimation of sorts. Match play repetitions, instincts, mental and physical stamina are necessary. Part of Sinner’s issues today were related to his layoff. Sinner getting into the final was an amazing accomplishment.
2. Hometown advantage does not always play a role
Jasmine Paolini got energy from the fans in both singles and doubles finals, but never dropped a set. Players who start strong and get the lead do quiet the fans, as Alcaraz did when he won the first set tiebreak.
3. Alcaraz vs. Skinner rivalry is starting to take shape
It is too early to say that Sinner is the best player on hard courts, and Alcaraz is the best on clay. The rivalry is shaping up that way, but both are young players who have lots of room for growth in their games on all surfaces.
🤯 Players to win all 3 current clay-court Masters 1000 (Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome) in their careers:
– Rafael Nadal 🇪🇸
– Novak Djokovic 🇷🇸
– CARLOS ALCARAZ 🇪🇸💥 Defeats Jannik Sinner 7-6 6-1!
— Olly Tennis 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) May 18, 2025
4. Skinner, Alcaraz are the top players in men’s tennis
On their best day, Sinner and Alcaraz are the two best players in men’s tennis. They push each other and reserve tactics just for the other. That’s not to diminish the rest of the players because they are also great; they have to be to get to that level. Right now, these are the two best in the men’s game.
🇮🇹 Jannik Sinner has lost just *seven* times since the start of 2024, out of 92 matches.
💥 FOUR of those losses were to Carlos Alcaraz
📸 Getty pic.twitter.com/qRZEVIXZ2W
— Olly Tennis 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) May 18, 2025
5. The Italian Open is gaining notoriety among both players and fans
This Italian Open final was a big deal, evidenced by the fact that both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s parents were there. It is a Masters 1000 tournament, but it mattered to both for different reasons. The French Open could be mighty interesting given how both players raced through their draws to get to a final match against each other.
