A final that could mark a before and after in the season

Jose Morón | 18 May 2025 | 08.00

Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz, Roma Final 2025. Photo: ATP

* You can watch and bet on this match live here..

This Sunday, May 18, we will have the final that we had long desired. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will finally compete for a major title. After a 250 and a 500, it was time to see them battle for a Masters 1000. With only a Grand Slam left, it's time to enjoy a final between the two best players in the world today. Furthermore, this final seems to have something more at stake than just a title. This duel could mark a turning point in the course of the season.

Because this match is extremely special for both of them. Both Jannik and Carlitos will have extra pressure. Whatever happens this Sunday at the ATP Rome could cause a quake in the coming weeks, with Paris and London just around the corner.

Jannik Sinner, aiming to win on his return

The Italian comes to the final with little to lose and much to gain. He is in a position of advantage since, despite being the number 1 in the world, the match is played on a surface where his top rival excels, and it is also in the tournament that marked his return, so his role is more than fulfilled. Whatever happens and regardless of the final result, Jannik's week has been extremely positive and he will head to Roland Garros with sky-high confidence.

Imagine what it would mean for Sinner to win on his comeback. It would be a nice way to silence the haters who have been constantly throwing stones at him for the past three months. It's a way of telling everyone that he left as the best and is returning as the best once again. And furthermore, on a surface that is not his favorite.

Defeating Alcaraz in this final would be a tough blow for the Spaniard. Before Sinner's suspension, the Murcian was already seen several steps behind his tennis. If the Italian returns and defeats him, thus breaking a streak of three consecutive losses, it would leave him somewhat shaken and filled with doubts just a week before Roland Garros. If they were to meet again in Paris, in the final, Carlitos would arrive with wounded pride. It's not the same to get there having won in Rome, as it is with a defeat weighing on your shoulders.

In the eyes of others, it would be a way to mark his territory. If anyone thought that Sinner would struggle to find his rhythm and would gradually improve, he has reached cruising speed in just a few days, and his level is starting to intimidate his opponents. His stats (only one loss in 41 matches) are frightening and reminiscent of the Big 3 era. Jannik is already one of those who wins with his shirt on, and seeing him return with a title would demoralize the others, making them see him as the true number 1 that he is.

Carlos Alcaraz, aiming to assert dominance

As we mentioned, the Spaniard is the one with more to lose in this final. A defeat, a week before Roland Garros, could leave him reeling from seeing Sinner surpass him on clay. If he can overcome the nerves that he seems to have suffered in recent weeks (which was evident against Draper in Indian Wells), he will have gained ground to position himself advantageously for Paris.

If he wins in Rome, no one would doubt that he is the strongest on clay. He would have had an almost flawless tour, having captured the titles in Montecarlo and Rome, as well as reaching the final in Barcelona. It's a way to tell everyone that there is no one better than him on this surface at the moment and that, following Rafa Nadal's farewell, he is the one who has taken up the mantle as the King of clay.

Moreover, morally speaking, winning a fourth consecutive time against Sinner would be an extra victory. The Italian has glided through 40 of his last 41 matches on the circuit. The only one he stumbled upon was precisely against Carlos. It's a way to get into his head, telling him that he is not like the others and that he will become his true nightmare.

It would also show the Italian that, outside of hard courts, it is he who dominates, giving him a significant boost in the Race, where he is already the best of the year. Looking ahead to the end-of-season number 1 spot, it might be a good way to start positioning himself well to snatch a spot that seems almost unreachable, considering Sinner's string of good results, having played in seven finals in the last seven tournaments he has competed in.

With all this, the final this Sunday in Rome has all the ingredients for no one to miss it, for everyone to cancel their plans and stick to the TV to witness what could be a turning point in the 2025 season. If I were you, I wouldn't miss it.