French Open: Carlos Alcaraz cautious of sharper Jannik Sinner

Tennis – Italian Open – Foro Italico, Rome, Italy – May 18, 2025 Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz poses for a photograph with Italy’s Jannik Sinner after profitable the general REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

Carlos Alcaraz arrives at Roland Garros brimming with self belief after taking down leader rival Jannik Sinner in Rome, however the protecting champion expects the Italian to be an excellent more difficult proposition after shaking off the rust following his doping ban.

Alcaraz and Sinner might be on reverse facets of the draw because the Spaniard returned to the second one on the earth this week following his Italian Open triumph, probably environment the level for every other blockbuster last between the sport’s two emerging superstars.

READ: Jannik Sinner says Italian Open loss ‘good lesson’ for French Open

The 22-year-old Alcaraz has gained 15 of 16 suits on clay this season, triumphing at Monte Carlo and attaining the Barcelona last ahead of going all of the approach in Rome after lacking the Madrid Open with a thigh harm.

He has additionally had Sinner’s selection of past due, profitable their final 4 conferences to take a 7-4 head-to-head benefit, a document that incorporates Alcaraz’s five-set win in final 12 months’s French Open semi-final. His luck on Sunday ended Sinner’s run of 26 successive victories.

READ: Carlos Alcaraz expects French Open risk from ‘insane’ Sinner

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz believes the problem of enjoying Sinner brings the most efficient out of him.

“He’s the best player in the world. It doesn’t matter that he was out of the tour for three months. Every tournament he’s playing, he plays great. The numbers are there. He wins almost every match he plays,” stated Alcaraz.

“If I don’t play at my very best, 10 out of 10, it’s going to be inconceivable to overcome him. That’s why I’m extra centered after I’m enjoying towards him, or I believe a little bit bit other after I’m going to stand him than different avid gamers.

READ: Djokovic says ‘not in need of a coach’ as French Open looms

“He has that air of secrecy. When you’re seeing him at the different facet of the web, it’s other.

“I’m not going to say I’m feeling like when Rafa (Nadal) and Roger (Federer) are playing, but I’m feeling like it’s a different energy when we are facing against each other.”

Sinner suffered his first straight-sets loss in 18 months in Rome, underlining his dominance in that point. Equally as spectacular even though used to be his run to the general in his first event since he retained the Australian Open name in January.

 ‘Closer than expected’

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz poses together with his winner trophy on the finish of his males’s singles last fit towards Italy’s Jannik Sinner for the ATP Rome Open tennis event at Foro Italico in Rome on May 18, 2025 forward of the French Open. (Photo by way of Tiziana FABI / AFP)

“I am closer than expected in a way of everything,” stated Sinner, who served a three-month ban after two times checking out certain for lines of the banned anabolic steroid clostebol.

Sinner has at all times maintained the product entered his machine by chance thru a therapeutic massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a sprig containing it to regard a minimize.

He sooner or later reached a agreement after government permitted the contamination used to be unintentional and {that a} longer ban could be an “unduly harsh sanction”.

“After three months coming here making this result means a lot to me,” Sinner stated after his runners-up end in Rome. “It gives me hopefully confidence to play some good tennis also in Paris.”

Sinner referred to as Alcaraz “the man to beat” however Alexander Zverev is without doubt one of the name pretenders too after falling simply quick in final 12 months’s last. Zverev then misplaced to Sinner within the Australian Open last however does have a clay trophy below his belt this season after profitable in Munich.

He made a past due choice to go into the Hamburg match this week after shedding within the quarter-finals in Rome, on the lookout for a spice up after a “very negative” loss to Lorenzo Musetti.

“This can’t be the last match before the French Open… I need positivity before it starts,” stated Zverev.

 Djokovic going below the radar

Novak Djokovic will contact down in Paris with restricted expectancies for a person with a document 24 Grand Slam titles, 3 of them coming at Roland Garros.

The long-time former global primary has slipped to 6th within the ratings, leaving him prone to the opportunity of a quarter-final towards Alcaraz or Sinner, as his watch for a tour-level 100th name is going on. His final one got here on the Olympics, the place he beat Alcaraz on Court Philippe Chatrier to land an elusive gold medal.

Djokovic skipped Rome after early exits in Monte Carlo and Madrid and is having a look to rediscover some shape by way of enjoying in Geneva.

Madrid champion Casper Ruud is a two-time Roland Garros runner-up, whilst Britain’s Jack Draper ranks a career-best 5th after profitable at Indian Wells and attaining the Madrid last.

Musetti has additionally carried out smartly throughout the clay swing. The Italian misplaced the Monte Carlo last to Alcaraz and made the final 4 as smartly in Madrid and Rome.

Holger Rune is the one participant to overcome Alcaraz to this point on clay this season however he has struggled for health each side of his Barcelona triumph.