Carlos Alcaraz is preparing for his title defense at Roland Garros with confidence after a recent victory at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. The 22-year-old Spaniard defeated Jannik Sinner, securing his seventh ATP Masters 1000 title and tying Sinner for the most tour-level trophies among players born in the 2000s.
“Winning tournaments, lifting trophies gives you a lot of confidence coming to the next tournaments,” Alcaraz said following his 7-6(5), 6-1 win over Sinner. He emphasized the importance of maintaining focus and continuing to do “the right things” as he heads to Paris.
Alcaraz’s victory in Rome was marked by resilience, saving two set points in the first set before pulling ahead against Sinner. This win improved his record to 7-4 in their head-to-head series. Despite Sinner’s three-month absence from competition, he showed strong performance, yet Alcaraz managed to break Sinner’s 26-match winning streak.
“I think today was a great level for both of us, especially the first set,” said Alcaraz. “Tactically [from] the beginning until the last ball, I didn’t lose focus.” He acknowledged Sinner’s prowess, noting that playing against him requires peak performance: “If I don’t play at my best, 10 out of 10, it’s going to be impossible to beat him.”
Alcaraz now holds a season record of 30-5 according to Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index and has won titles in Monte-Carlo and Rome this year. As he turns his attention to Roland Garros and Wimbledon, where he is also reigning champion, Alcaraz leads the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.
Reflecting on past challenges during this clay season after an early defeat in Miami, Alcaraz expressed contentment with his current mindset: “I’m approaching every match in a different way… I found the right path.”
He added that focusing on enjoying the moment rather than being preoccupied with results has been beneficial: “Right now I’m focusing in a totally different way… which is just being happy.”
Alcaraz concluded by expressing satisfaction with his current form: “I’m just feeling great, feeling great right now.”