"He’s playing great": Carlos Alcaraz expects 'difficult' challenge against in-form Jannik Sinner in Rome Open final

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz has revealed that he is expecting a tough outing against Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the final of the Rome Open. The ATP 1000 event is set to conclude on Sunday with a mouthwatering contest between two of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis.

Alcaraz cemented his spot in the final after beating Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6. On the other hand, Sinner, who recently returned to the court after spending three months on the sidelines following an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for failing three dope tests in March last year, looked in prime touch and reminded everyone why he remains the best player in the world as he also secured his spot in the final of the competition after beating America’s Tommy Paul with a score of 1-6, 6-0, 6-3.

This will be the 12th meeting between the two players. In the previous 11 meetings, the young Spaniard had an edge, coming out on top on seven occasions. Three of those victories came in the last three matches, all of which were played last year. Alcaraz spoke to the media after beating Musetti, where he was asked about the potential clash against Sinner in the final of the competition on Sunday. In response to that, the young Spaniard stated that he is expecting a nail-biting contest against Sinner, who, according to him, is ‘playing great’ tennis.

“It could be great, I’m not going to lie. Who knows? He’s playing great,” he said. “I’ve been watching his matches. His level is really high right now. Every time that I play against him is always a battle, is always really, really tough. I kind of enjoy that moments, as well. But [if] I play him in the final, would be even more challenging playing against him at home with the people behind him, supporting him. It’s going to be a really difficult challenge. But let’s see. It going to be a really difficult one.”