Over the peculiar past three months in men’s tennis, the anti-doping suspension imposed on Jannik Sinner also left its mark on his greatest rival. In the No 1’s absence, all eyes and expectations turned to Carlos Alcaraz. At times, the Spaniard has said, the pressure “killed” him.
Alcaraz found his way again by focusing on himself, on approaching his tennis with joy and composure, and in the most highly anticipated match of the season he marked the renewal of their era-defining rivalry with a statement victory by toppling Sinner 7-6 (5), 6-1 to win the Italian Open for the first time in his career.
