Alcaraz leads Lexus ATP Head2Head series 6-4
May 16, 2025
ATP Tour/Getty Images
By ATP Staff
The dream final is set at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. The fans in Rome will see their home hero, Jannik Sinner, square off against Carlos Alcaraz in the 11th edition of what could be this decade's defining Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry.
The top two players in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, Sinner and Alcaraz each progressed to the final with the loss of just a single set. Sinner's best effort came in a divine quarter-final performance against Casper Ruud after meeting the new pope, while Alcaraz left Jack Draper and Lorenzo Musetti without a prayer in his two most recent outings.
Sunday's final will be the third clay-court meeting between the pair, and their first on the surface since a five-set thriller in last year's Roland Garros semi-finals. Alcaraz won that match and bookended it with victories in Indian Wells and Beijing to sweep all three of their 2024 meetings; this will be their first of 2025.
Still, Sinner has maintained a comfortable margin atop the PIF ATP Rankings thanks in large part to his titles at the last two Grand Slams and the Nitto ATP Finals. While the Italian did not compete since the Australian Open, Alcaraz won titles in Monte-Carlo and Rotterdam and reached the Barcelona final.
Expect the atmosphere to be off the charts as Sinner seeks to reassert his dominance. With the Italian crowd behind him, can Sinner's peerless precision and ballstriking help him mark his comeback with a trophy? Or will the weight of Alcaraz's ground game, perhaps more ready-made for clay, push the home favourite to the brink?
While we await the answer, let’s recap the pair’s previous 10 meetings…
Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos
Alcaraz
ESP
6
Vs
wins
4
Show H2H Detail
Jannik Sinner
Jannik
Sinner
ITA
3
Rank
1
21
Age
23
China Open 2024, Final, Alcaraz d. Sinner 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3)
It was as much a mental chess match as a physical showdown, a true test of resilience for the entire three hours and 21 minutes — the longest match in Beijing tournament history. Alcaraz prevailed through the twists and turns, securing his third consecutive victory against the Italian.
Facing off in a championship match for just the second time, Alcaraz and Sinner delivered upon the highly anticipated excitement. There was monstrous firepower from the baseline and superb shotmaking combined with court coverage that showcased both players’ speed and agility. In Alcaraz’s opinion, it was the kind of edge-of-your-seat match that inspires others to try the sport.
“I think for the people who don't watch tennis, probably thanks to these kind of matches, [they] start to watch tennis or even practise it,” Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz let slip a 5-2 lead in the opening set, which he eventually lost in a tie-break. World No. 1 Sinner had now claimed 18 of his previous 19 tie-breaks, so when he led 3/0 in the deciding-set tie-break, it seemed the Italian was set to successfully defend his ATP 500 crown. But Alcaraz unleashed free hitting under pressure and tallied seven consecutive points to lift the trophy. The Spaniard’s win brought his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero to tears.
“When you're able to beat one of the best, if not the best, tennis player in the world, obviously it seems like you're doing the right things, you're doing the right work,” Alcaraz said.
Despite the heartbreak of defeat, Sinner was able to look back at the clash in a positive way.
“I feel like it's always great when we meet,” Sinner said. "We try to push ourself and each other to the limits. He for me is a [reference] point of where I work.”
Roland Garros 2024, SF, Alcaraz d. Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Both stars entered the Roland Garros semi-finals keen to reach their first final at the clay-court major. Alcaraz and Sinner had each entered the tournament with an injury concern, but found their form and worked their way to the last four.
Sinner came flying out of the gates, surging to a set-and-a-break advantage. But as the Italian began to make more unforced errors, Alcaraz raised his level to flip the momentum of the match.
The Italian suffered from cramp in his hand and arm early in the third set, but managed to dig deep to take a two-sets-to-one advantage. From there, Alcaraz again turned the match around and his ability to maneouvre himself into winning positions in rallies proved the difference.
The Spaniard hit 65 winners compared to 39 for Sinner, and rallied to reach the final after four hours and nine minutes.
While it was a disappointing loss for Sinner, the 22-year-old was already guaranteed to climb to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time on the Monday after the tournament.
BNP Paribas Open 2024, SF, Alcaraz d. Sinner 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
Sinner entered his semi-final clash against Alcaraz at the BNP Paribas in March unbeaten on the season. The Italian was a perfect 16-0 on the year, having won his maiden major title at the Australian Open in January.
Sinner had played flawlessly through the first three months of the season and entered the match as slight favourite with Alcaraz stepping onto court 11-3 on the year. The 22-year-old’s favourite tag seemed justified after the opening set, with Sinner cruising into a 6-1 lead. Sinner produced the perfect start, hitting six winners to Alcaraz’s one, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
However, Alcaraz did not surrender. The Spaniard fought through the opening game of set two and earned a crucial hold to stem the tide. He eliminated the early errors that plagued him in the opening set and began to find his footing in long rallies, finding greater variety to level. The 21-year-old continued to mix up his tactics in the final set and lost just three points on serve in a one-sided decider. By moving back to "Medvedev territory" on return, he hurt Sinner with big cuts to begin the point and often began the rallies on the front foot.
After two hours and five minutes, Alcaraz sealed victory on his third match point to end Sinner’s unbeaten start to the season. With his win, Alcaraz advanced to his his sixth ATP Masters 1000 final (4-1), denying Sinner his fourth at the time (1-2). It was Alcaraz's first tour-level final since he lost to Novak Djokovic in the previous August in a Cincinnati epic; he had been 0-4 in semi-finals since that defeat.
"I stayed strong mentally," said Alcaraz, who pointed to his head after the win. "I think that's a really important part in this game. You have to be strong mentally if you want to overcome these kind of matches, a set down against someone that's playing an unbelievable game. I'm really happy with the things that I've done after that.
"I changed my style a little bit, I changed my game a little bit and I think it worked very well. I'm really happy to beat Jannik and be in the final again."
Alcaraz then faced Medvedev in the final, cruising to a straight sets win to clinch his fifth Masters 1000 title.
<a href='
https://www.atptour.com/en/players/carl ... ew'>Carlos Alcaraz</a>
Photo Credit: Getty Images
China Open 2023, SF, Sinner d. Alcaraz 7-6(4), 6-1
After Alcaraz won 7-4 tie-breaks to open each of their previous two matches, Sinner claimed the opening-set tie-break by the same scoreline at the China Open.
In a marathon opening frame, Sinner twice came back from a break down. He began to take control by moving Alcaraz around the baseline and winning all 15 of his net points in the set.
After navigating a tense opening to the second set, fighting off five break points across his first two service games, Sinner sprinted through the finish line.
"For sure in the very top [of the big matches I've played]," the Italian said of the win. "I would say every match against him is very tough. We always show great respect, we both play great. When we play against each other, we try to stay on our limits."
Sinner followed up the victory by beating Medvedev in the Beijing final to claim his fourth tour-level title of the season, equalling his personal-best tally from 2021.
Miami Open presented by Itau, SF, Sinner d. Alcaraz 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2
Two weeks after their Indian Wells showdown, Sinner gained swift revenge with a comeback victory at the Miami Open presented by Itau. In a show-stopping semi-final, Sinner won one of the points of the year: an action-packed 25-ball rally that ended with a delicate, dipping passing shot to bring the crowd to its feet.
Despite that moment of magic — and early leads in all three sets — Sinner was on the ropes when he faced two break points at 3-4 in the second. But the Italian answered the bell with a match-changing surge, winning 19 of 21 points to take the set and build a 2-0 lead in the decider.
Alcaraz appeared to be struggling physically early in set three, but he willed his way to one final push. In the end, his 22 winners were not enough to overcome 28 off the racquet of his opponent.
You May Also Like: Watch Alcaraz & Sinner's first meeting
"It means a lot. We both played a very, very high level of tennis again. I just tried my best," Sinner said after advancing to his second Miami final. "We both tried to play very aggressive tennis and today it went my way so I'm very happy."
Sinner was beaten by Daniil Medvedev in the Miami final but went on to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title later in the season in Toronto.
BNP Paribas Open 2023, SF, Alcaraz d. Sinner 7-6(4), 6-3
Alcaraz captured his third ATP Masters 1000 crown at the BNP Paribas Open in 2023, returning to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings following his triumph. The Spaniard did not drop a set en route to the title, but was pushed the hardest by Sinner in the pair’s semi-final clash in Indian Wells.
In another entertaining battle, the bulk of the drama came in a back-and-forth opening set as Sinner took full advantage of a dip in level from his opponent to turn a 2-4 deficit into a 5-4 lead, winning 11 straight points in the process. Sinner kept the pressure on to create a set point at 6-5, but a uniquely Alcaraz combination — big serve, drop shot, volley winner — erased the chance and ensured the set would be decided in a tie-break.
Encouraged by his escape, the Spaniard powered through the tie-break and carried his momentum into set two, when he consolidated an early break with a point-of-the-season contender, planting a topspin lob on the baseline after a Sinner dipper forced him to retreat from the net. He later wriggled out of 0/30 to hold for 5-2, and served out the match with ease behind a pair of punishing forehand winners.
“I'm really happy to get through this great match. Jannik obviously is a really great player with great shots,” Alcaraz said. “I would say we're going to have a great rivalry over the years. We are playing in the best tournaments in the world. It's not over here. We are going to play a lot of great matches.”
US Open 2022, QF, Alcaraz d. Sinner 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3
In one of the matches of the 2022 season, Alcaraz and Sinner battled late into the New York night. Across five hours and 15 minutes of twists and turns, the only constant was elite tennis and tireless effort from both men. Alcaraz and Sinner took turns lighting up Arthur Ashe Stadium, flashing their tremendous athleticism and power in equal measures.
Sinner dominated the third-set tie-break to take a two-sets-to-one lead and carried his momentum into the fourth set as he scored an instant break. But the fearless Alcaraz erased a match point with Sinner serving at 5-4 and went on a run of four straight games to force a fifth set. Again trailing by a break, the Spaniard repeated that feat by winning four games in a row in the fifth set to claim victory at 2:50 a.m.
"Honestly, I still don't know how I did it," Alcaraz said. "You have to believe in yourself. I believed in my game. It was really difficult to close out the match. I tried to stay calm, but it is difficult in the moment.
“The energy I received in this court at 3 a.m., it was unbelievable. Probably in other tournaments, everybody [would go] to their house to rest. But they [stayed] in the court, supporting me. It was unbelievable.”
Alcaraz went on to claim his first major title at Flushing Meadows and by doing so he became the youngest World No. 1 in the history of the PIF ATP Rankings.
Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag 2022, Final, Sinner d. Alcaraz 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-1
Facing off in a championship match for the first time, it was Sinner who recovered from dropping the opening set to spoil Alcaraz’s title defence in Croatia.
A vital hold of serve in the second game of the second set was crucial to Sinner’s triumph. Already facing pressure after falling a set behind, the Italian fended off six break points in that game alone, preventing a potential runaway victory for Alcaraz. Sinner broke the Spaniard’s serve immediately in the next game and charged to the ATP 250 crown.
“That was a crucial point [of the match],” said Sinner. “I knew I had to stay there. I was very happy that I won this game. Then I returned well and raised my level a little bit, and I think I found a solution then.”
<a href='
https://www.atptour.com/en/players/jann ... ew'>Jannik Sinner</a> and <a href='
https://www.atptour.com/en/players/carl ... ew'>Carlos Alcaraz</a>Photo Credit: Croatia Open Umag
Wimbledon 2022, Fourth Round, Sinner d. Alcaraz 6-1, 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3
Just hours after Wimbledon looked back to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Centre Court, Sinner and Alcaraz provided a glimpse of the future with their first Grand Slam meeting in the fourth round.
In the first Centre Court match for both, Sinner overwhelmed Alcaraz with his pure ball-striking and had two match points to wrap up a straight-sets win before Alcaraz found his rhythm to take the third-set tie-break. After converting on his fourth set point, the Spaniard raised his racquet, soaking in the crowd's roar.
As the match grew more physical, Sinner stemmed the tide with two battling holds to open the fourth set, then scored the decisive break to edge ever closer to his third major quarter-final. After missing out on three further match points on return at 5-3, Sinner saved a break point as he served out one of the most entertaining matches of the fortnight. A forehand winner — Sinner's 35th of the match — completed the victory after three hours and 35 minutes.
“Carlos is a very tough opponent and a very nice person, so it is always a huge pleasure for me to play against him," said Sinner, who would fall to Novak Djokovic in five sets in the quarter-finals.
<a href='
https://www.atptour.com/en/players/jann ... ew'>Jannik Sinner</a>
Photo Credit: Adrian Dennis/Getty Images
Rolex Paris Masters 2021, Second Round, Alcaraz d. Sinner 7-6(1), 7-5
“I think Jannik and I will have a great rivalry in the future,” was a near-prophetic comment from Alcaraz after he upset World No. 9 Sinner in their first tour-level meeting.
Alcaraz, then 18 years old and World No. 35 in the PIF ATP Rankings, showcased his brave shot selection and heavy hitting to down the eighth seed Sinner, who was competing as a Top 10 player for the first time that week. Alcaraz created 11 break chances, converting two of them, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
Court 1 at the Rolex Paris Masters will forever be the stomping grounds of the Alcaraz vs. Sinner rivalry, though the Spaniard had previously beaten the Italian 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 as an unranked 15-year-old on his ATP Challenger Tour debut at Alicante in April 2019, when Sinner was World No. 319.
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