Jannik Sinner left the home Rome Masters with a runner-up trophy. More importantly, world no. 1 renewed his sense of confidence heading into Roland Garros. Returning from a three-month suspension, the Italian made an immediate impact, reaching the final in front of his home fans at Foro Italico and challenging Carlos Alcaraz in the opening set.

After an absorbing first set, Sinner's understandable lack of match toughness saw Alcaraz dance to victory in Rome.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner define the rivalry that is expected to continue after the years of the “Big 3” (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic).