The dream final between Alcaraz and Sinner in Rome and the ultimate test for Roland Garros.

It was the final the Rome Masters 1000 had been yearning for . Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will face off at the Foro Italico in the Italian capital in a high-voltage clash that will serve as the grand slam prelude to the Roland Garros Grand Slam. The two best tennis players on the planet , destined to dominate the world tennis throne for the next decade , will face each other for the eleventh time in their careers, with the Murcian winning 6-4.

Sinner defeated Tommy Paul in the semifinals of his first tournament in three months after his doping ban (1-6, 6-0, 6-3). If the Italian lacked rhythm, he hid it well, managing to overcome a high-pressure match in which he was initially overwhelmed by his opponent. Alcaraz, meanwhile, demonstrated tremendous maturity against Lorenzo Musett to win a match that became complicated in the second set.

The Spaniard managed to keep his emotions in check, defuse the home court advantage in favor of the Italian, and prevail in the tie-break. After the match, the Murcian analyzed Musetti's nerves in the first set and how the home court advantage played against him. " At the beginning, he made a lot of mistakes and was very nervous . I could see that. I tried to take advantage of it. I tried to be solid, playing intelligently in those moments . That's why I won the first set," he began.

Alcaraz has already knocked down the home court advantage

"For me, it was a little, let's say, easier than for him to be a set down in a semifinal. It could probably be difficult to come back. I'm not going to say it was because of experience, but playing at home sometimes it works against you," Alcaraz added. The Spaniard also confessed, "I feel confident and I'm playing great tennis. I can always be better. I hope that in the final I can approach the match the right way and play even better. But right now I'm very happy with the level I'm playing at and I've improved since the beginning of the tournament."

Of course, Alcaraz spoke about Sinner. "He's playing very well. I've been watching his matches. His level is really high right now. Every time I play against him, it's always a tough battle; he's always very, very tough. I enjoy those moments too. But playing against him in the final would be an even bigger challenge, playing against him at home, with the fans supporting him. It would be a really tough challenge. It's going to be very difficult," said Alcaraz, who will be seeking his seventh Masters 1000 at the Foro Italico in Rome.

Sinner, facing pressure

For Sinner, who has never made it this far into a Rome Masters 1000 , the pressure will be on. "It's great to play against Carlos before Roland Garros and Wimbledon. I'm happy about it because it will serve as a reference point to know what aspects I need to improve and give me a clear idea of ​​my current level," he declared after defeating Tommy Paul.

"Our matches are always exciting, we play at a very high level and motivate each other to be better. In any case, this match is different because I approach it in a special way. I feel like it's already a big tournament for me, no matter what happens on Sunday . It's always special to face Carlos because we know each other very well. I'm clear that I need to be at my best if I want to have a chance of beating him ," concluded the Italian.