Man to beat Carlos Alcaraz wary of sharper Jannik Sinner at French Open

PARIS – Carlos Alcaraz will arrive at Roland Garros brimming with confidence after taking down rival Jannik Sinner in Rome, but the defending champion expects the Italian to be an even tougher proposition after shaking off the rust following his doping ban.

Alcaraz and world No. 1 Sinner will be on opposite sides of the draw as the Spaniard returned to the second in the world this week following his Italian Open triumph, potentially setting the stage for another blockbuster final between the game’s two rising superstars.

Alcaraz has won 15 of 16 matches on clay this season, triumphing at Monte Carlo and reaching the Barcelona final before going all the way in Rome after missing the Madrid Open with a thigh injury.

He has also had Sinner’s number of late, winning their last four meetings to take a 7-4 head-to-head advantage, a record that includes Alcaraz’s five-set win in the 2024 French Open semi-final.

His success on May 18 ended Sinner’s run of 26 successive victories.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz believes the challenge of playing Sinner brings the best out of him.

“He’s the best player in the world. It doesn’t matter that he was out of the tour for three months. Every tournament he’s playing, he plays great. The numbers are there. He wins almost every match he plays,” he said.

“If I don’t play at my best, 10 out of 10, it’s going to be impossible to beat him. That’s why I’m more focused when I’m playing against him. He has that aura. When you’re seeing him on the other side of the net, it’s different.

“I’m not going to say I’m feeling like when Rafa (Nadal) and Roger (Federer) are playing, but I’m feeling like it’s a different energy when we are facing against each