Carlos Alcaraz had little trouble dismantling Jannik Sinner in the Italian Open final, sealing a 7-6(5) 6-1 victory to snap the world number one’s 26-match winning streak and break the hearts of the home crowd on Sunday.

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner is dominating men’s tennis and Italy swept both the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup team titles last year.

When the sun rose Saturday morning, Italy hadn’t had an Italian Open champion in 40 years. By nightfall, it had one. In 24 hours, it might have two. Jasmine Paolini, an irrepressible 29-year-old on a run for more than a year now,

The World No. 1 suffered just her third loss of the season prior to advancing to a final match in Rome, meaning that she has reached six finals out of nine tournaments played in 2025. With a rock-solid game and victories this season over nearly all of her main rivals, Sabalenka enters Roland Garros as the top favorite to win the title.

Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian woman to win the Italian Open in 40 years when she beat American world number three Coco Gauff 6-4 6-2 in the final on Saturday.

Jasmine Paolini beat Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 in the Italian Open women’s singles final on Saturday to become the first Italian player to win the tournament in 40 years, before repeating the feat in the doubles final on Sunday.

The performance of Italian players at their biggest home tournament has been impressive. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Peyton Stearns of the United States returns the ball to Jasmine Paolini of Italy during the semi-final tennis match at the Italian Open at the Foro Italico, in Rome, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz serves the ball to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti during their semifinal tennis match at the Italian Open,