Jannik Sinner's dazzling winning streak ground to a halt ahead of the French Open but the world No 1's top-notch return from a three-month doping ban suggests he will be the main challenger to Carlos Alcaraz in Paris.
The 23-year-old had won 26 straight matches before losing 7-6(5) 6-1 to Alcaraz in the Italian Open final on Sunday.
The defeat also ended a streak of 94 consecutive matches in which he had won at least one set — a run dating back to 2023 when he was beaten by Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals.
Sinner agreed a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency in February and began an immediate three-month suspension after authorities accepted that the anabolic agent clostebol had entered his system via massages from his physiotherapist.
The three-time Grand Slam champion had not played since winning the Australian Open in January and he viewed the Italian Open as a chance to rebuild his momentum ahead of Roland Garros.
Despite failing to get his hands on the trophy, the Italian left Rome with encouraging signs ahead of the clay-court Grand Slam.
He battled through foot pain during the tournament, managing tight wins over Francisco Cerundolo and Tommy Paul, and showed glimpses of the aggressive baseline game and superb returning that have lifted him to the top of the rankings.
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"It was a great week for me in many ways,” Sinner told reporters in Rome. “I am closer than expected to my best tennis after a little time away, and I’ve found good sensations on clay.”
Alcaraz’s victory in Rome gave the Spaniard two elite clay titles this spring following his triumph in Monte Carlo, and the rivalry between the young guns has become the most compelling in men’s tennis.
Alcaraz leads their head-to-head meetings 7-4 and it would be no surprise if the pair were battling in the Paris final.
Sinner's improved physical conditioning has been one of the key factors in his rise, though the lingering foot blister he battled in Rome raised questions about his durability over a gruelling best-of-five format.
Yet the Italian remains optimistic.
“Surely I will beat you in Paris,” he joked to Alcaraz during the trophy ceremony in Rome, setting the stage for another potential showdown on Court Philippe-Chatrier.