Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will meet for the 11th time in their careers, as they clash for the Italian Open title.
The two will renew their rivalry in the Eternal City, after over seven months since their last meeting, which came at the China Open, where Alcaraz beat Sinner over three sets.
Sinner’s return to tennis hasn’t shown any signs of rust, having torn through his half of the draw, dropping just one set in his Rome campaign.
The 23-year-old is on a 26-match winning streak, dating back to the beginning of the Shanghai Masters in October.
Alcaraz, on the other hand, is pursuing his third title of the season, with triumphs in Rotterdam and Monte-Carlo already under his belt.
With the two set to compete in a Masters 1000 final for the first time at the Italian Open, British tennis legend Tim Henman gave his verdict on the rivalry thus far.
Tim Henman says Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz bring the best out of each other
Speaking to Sky Sports, Henman said: “In their semi-finals, they both had tricky challenges. I think for Alcaraz, it was really difficult conditions. It was very swirly, there were a lot of unforced errors. There wasn’t really any rhythm to the match.”
“And I think Sinner had trouble backing up the Casper Ruud performance when he won 6-0, 6-1 and played some of the best tennis I’ve ever seen. Then he goes out in his semi-final against Tommy Paul and loses the first set 6-1.”
“But it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. He responded very well, and I think today we’re set up for another classic.”
“We’ve been so blessed with so many of these great rivalries, and I feel when these two go head to head, it brings out the best in them. They play very well when they go head-to-head.”
“Sometimes these matchups don’t materialise and someone plays really badly. We’re setting the bar high, but I think they’re the two most exciting players in the men’s game right now, and they’re going head to head in a big final, so lots to look forward to.
How Jannik Sinner’s winning streak stacks up against the all-time greats
With 26 consecutive victories and counting, Sinner‘s winning streak is the joint-seventh longest since 1990.
He is currently tied with Andre Agassi in seventh place on the list, who enjoyed a 26-match win streak in 1995.
Should Sinner emerge victorious over Alcaraz in Rome, he will go within one of Andy Murray, whose dominant 2016-2017 stretch featured 28 straight wins.
The longest streak of the past 35 years belongs to Novak Djokovic, who strung together a remarkable 43 victories between 2010 and 2011, winning seven titles within the period.
Sinner has won three titles during his streak, triumphing at the Shanghai Masters, the ATP Finals, and the Australian Open, and will now look to win his second of the season at Foro Italico.
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