Carlos Alcaraz Makes Feelings Clear on Possibility of Playing Jannik Sinner After Clinching Roland Garros 2nd Seed
Carlos Alcaraz leads 6-2 in the head-to-head matchups against Jannik Sinner and also won their last three clashes.
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Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/The Tennis Letter, Bastien Fachan)
Carlos Alcaraz will be playing in the Italian Open semifinal for the first time in his career. On Wednesday (May 14), Alcaraz went past Jack Draper to secure a berth in the semifinals.
On the same day, World No.2 and the defending Alexander Zverev got knocked out of the tournament after defeat to Lorenzo Musetti. Because of the German’s defeat, Alcaraz, who currently occupies the third position on the rankings table will start the next week as the No.2 player.
With this, he has also secured the second seed at the French Open, meaning, he is projected to meet Jannik Sinner in the final and not the semifinals. Last year, they met in the last four in Paris where, after a five-set thriller against the World No.1, Alcaraz played another epic five-setter to beat Zverev and become a French Open champion for the first time.
I think it’s great being (the) second seed in Roland Garros, knowing that I’m not going to see Jannik before the final, if I reach it, I think it’s great. It’s something that I didn’t think about, honestly. Before coming here, the No. 1, it wasn’t a goal. Knowing that it’s a great thing.
Carlos Alcaraz said at the press conference
Alcaraz edges the 23-year-old 6-4 in the head-to-head encounter and also clinched victories in the three official matches they played last year. Sinner ended the 2024 season as the most successful ATP player, winning eight official titles and registering 73-6 win-loss records- half of his defeats came from Alcaraz.
The Italian Open is Sinner’s first tournament since the Australian Open in January because of his three-month doping ban. He defended his title and continued his winning ways in Rome, extending his winning streak to 24 matches.
He has yet to face defeat in a match since the 2024 Shanghai Masters. The last time he was defeated was in the final of the China Open against Alcaraz, which they played just before the Shanghai Masters.
Carlos Alcaraz says Jack Draper has the ability to win a Grand Slam title
Carlos Alcaraz improved his head-to-head record against Jack Draper to 4-2. Not only that, the four-time Grand Slam champion also took revenge on the Brit, for he was the reason behind the Spaniard’s Indian Wells exit this year. Alcaraz was aiming to defend his title in the California desert but Draper, after a three-set semifinal, breezed past Holger Rune to capture the biggest title of his career.
The 23-year-old, in the Italian capital, was aiming to reach three Masters 1000 finals as after Indian Wells, he progressed to the summit clash of the Madrid Open but was denied the title by Casper Ruud. Because of Draper’s recent performances, the 22-year-old is convinced that the World No.5 one day will have a Grand Slam title under his belt.
I think he has shown the level he has. He can beat everyone in all tournaments. Of course, Jack is the No.5 in the world. He has won a Masters 1000 final, also reached the final in Madrid. He is one of the players who can win the French Open. Any Grand Slam, honestly.
Carlos Alcaraz said at the press conference
Last year in Paris, Draper got knocked out of his first-round match. He has not yet progressed beyond the first round in the clay-court Major.
If Alcaraz beats Lorenzo Musetti and Jannik Sinner goes past Ruud and the winner of the quarterfinal match between Hubert Hurkacz and Tommy Paul, then the Italian Open will see a blockbuster showdown on Sunday. Both Alcaraz and Sinner are chasing their first title in the Italian Masters 1000 tournament.
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