Jannik Sinner reached the final on his comeback to competitive tennis but found Carlos Alcaraz one step too far in his quest to get his hands on the Italian Open title.
The world number one has now served a three-month ban, and he will now quickly turn his focus towards the French Open, which gets underway on Sunday.
Sinner had no answer for Alcaraz yesterday. He was beaten 7-6, 6-1 as he failed in his quest to add a Masters 1000 title to his trophy haul ahead of the second Grand Slam of the year.
There does seem to be mutual respect between the two players. The pair swapped pleasantries after the match in their interviews, with Sinner now losing four times on the bounce to Alcaraz.
Jannik Sinner posts message to Carlos Alcaraz after losing the Italian Open final
The pair will enjoy many great battles as the years progress and last year the two best players in world tennis shared the four major titles between them.
Whether that will be the case again this year remains to be seen but it would appear that Alcaraz and Sinner will both take some stopping once again.
After losing the final, Sinner did seem to be in good spirits and he’s now taken to social media to wish Alcaraz all the best after his latest title victory.
He posted: “Not the result we hoped for, but I’m grateful for yesterday’s match, it was a great tournament for me overall. Thank you to everyone who cheered me on, both in the stands and at home. Your support means the world to me. Big congrats to Carlos Alcaraz and his team for a great performance.”
Sinner can’t be written out of French Open contention
Although match practice will be lacking in comparison to Alcaraz, Sinner will know that he’s got what it takes to emerge victorious after a two-week slog at Roland Garros.
With three major titles to his name, he cannot be discounted for the title, especially given that he won the first of the year at the Australian Open.
Clay is perhaps better suited to Alcaraz than it is Sinner but that doesn’t mean that he can’t come through the rounds, gain some confidence and collect a maiden title in Paris.
To reach the final after three months on the sidelines is quite remarkable and he’s arguably showcased exactly why he’s the runaway leader at the top of the world rankings.
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