Alcaraz Heads to Paris with Another Win over Sinner under his Belt
Carlos Alcaraz heads to Paris for his French Open title defense having laid down a marker with his victory over world number one Jannik Sinner in Rome on Sunday which completed his collection of elite claycourt crowns.
Alcaraz’s fourth straight win over Sinner saw the 22-year-old join Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Gustavo Kuerten and Marcelo Rios as the only men to have captured all three claycourt ATP Masters 1000 titles – Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome.
“Winning tournaments and lifting trophies give you a lot of confidence … just to know you’re on the right path and playing great tennis. I’m excited about what’s to come for me,” the Spaniard said after his Rome success.
“It means that I’m doing the right things and I’m going to keep doing the right things coming to Paris,” Reuters quoted him as saying.
Alcaraz made the ideal start to his campaign on the sport’s slowest surface beating Lorenzo Musetti to claim his first Monte Carlo title, but then suffered an adductor muscle problem in Barcelona where he lost to Holger Rune in the final.
That fatigue-induced injury, combined with a left hamstring issue in the midst of a grueling spell, forced Alcaraz to skip the Madrid Open and left fans concerned about his status for the year’s second major.
