World No. 1 overcomes sluggish start and injury fears to beat Tommy Paul and meet Alcaraz in final

Jannik Sinner weathered his first real storm at this year’s Italian Open to outlast Tommy Paul 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 and set up a dream final against Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday in what promises to be a defining clash for tennis’ next great rivalry.

Under the Friday night lights at a packed Foro Italico, the world No 1 was slow off the blocks but roared back with metronomic precision to extend his winning run on home soil. Sinner, playing in his first event since returning from a three-month anti-doping suspension, had not dropped a set all tournament. But Paul, playing bold and disciplined tennis, turned up the heat early.

In blustery, heavy conditions, Paul raced to a 5-0 lead in just 20 minutes, dismantling Sinner’s early rhythm with deep groundstrokes and speed around the court. The Italian’s tentative start was peppered with uncharacteristic errors and short balls, and the American swept the set 6-1 with barely a whimper in reply.

But true to his reputation as the most formidable player in the world right now, Sinner reset. “These kind of matches I need,” he later said. “I’m happy how we handled this kind of situation, especially going on court and not feeling great.”

He opened the second set with a calm service hold, then promptly broke Paul with a laser-like backhand winner. From that moment, Sinner surged—eight games in a row swept him into a 2-0 lead in the third set. The roar of Campo Centrale, already feverish from his previous night’s demolition of Casper Ruud, reached new heights.

Paul did find a late twist. A sloppy Sinner service game handed the break back at 3-1, just as the Italian began visibly limping between points—later attributed to a nagging blister under his foot. But even hobbled, Sinner refused to yield ground. His baseline firepower and depth suffocated Paul, who couldn’t keep pace as Sinner closed out the final set 6-3.

“I’m not concerned about my leg,” said Sinner, brushing aside fitness worries. “Hopefully the blister heals fast. In any case, no excuses. I’m in the final. I give the best I have Sunday.”

That final will pit him against Carlos Alcaraz, the rising Spaniard who has already forged a blockbuster rivalry with Sinner. Alcaraz made light work of Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti earlier in the day, winning 6-3, 7-6 (4) despite tricky wind conditions.

“He’s playing great,” Alcaraz said of Sinner. “Every time we play, it’s a battle. But playing him in the final, here in Italy, that’s an even bigger challenge. I enjoy it.”

For Italian fans, the timing could not be sweeter. Their national hero, who even met the new Pope Leo during the tournament, now gets a shot at glory in front of a roaring home crowd against his greatest contemporary rival.

This will be their ninth career meeting, with the head-to-head balanced at four wins each. Sunday promises a titanic encounter between two of the sport’s brightest young stars—one already the world’s best, the other determined to prove he belongs there too.