Carlos Alcaraz (Getty Images)

Carlos Alcaraz won the Italian Open on Sunday after beating rival Jannik Sinner 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 in the final and firing a warning shot for Roland Garros.Alcaraz, who will climb to world number two behind Sinner on Monday, won his third title of the season ahead of the French Open which starts next weekend. The Spaniard claimed victory in his fourth final of the season and sent a message to the rest of the men’s tour for Roland Garros where he will defend the title.Sinner tops the world rankings but his 26-match winning streak was ended by Alcaraz, also the man who had last beat him in last year’s China Open final.Alcaraz is the only man to beat Sinner in a tour final since the start of 2024, when his Italian rival began his rise to the top of men’s tennis and three Grand Slam titles.
The 22-year-old has had a hugely impressive clay court swing this season even with the thigh injury which cost him the chance to compete at the Madrid Open.Alcaraz won in Rome a second Masters 1000 title of the year to go alongside his victory at Monte Carlo last month. He also reached the final in Barcelona.Finishing runner-up is still a hugely positive result for Sinner in his first tournament since his three-month ban for testing positive twice in March last year for traces of clostebol, a contamination doping authorities accepted was accidental.His progress in Rome also sets up the possibility of another final clash with Alcaraz at Roland Garros, with the two young stars of men’s tennis set to be the two top seeds in Paris.Sinner was gunning to become the first Italian man to win at the Foro Italico since Adriano Panatta back in 1976, but he failed to make it a hat-trick of triumphs for home players in the Italian capital.Earlier Jasmine Paolini became the first woman since Monica Seles in 1990 to win the Rome singles and doubles titles when she and Sara Errani beat Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens 6-4, 7-5.Paolini secured that brace of victories a day after overcoming former US Open champion Coco Gauff in straight sets, and becoming the first Italian woman to win the Rome singles title since Raffaella Reggi in 1985.