Carlos Alcaraz makes his feelings known on Jannik Sinner's return from doping ban at Italian Open

Carlos Alcaraz shared his thoughts on his rival Jannik Sinner's return from a doping ban at the Italian Open. He said he was really happy to have the Italian back and was looking forward to competing alongside him in Rome.

Alcaraz has arrived in Rome aiming for his second ATP Masters 1000 title of the season and his third title overall this year. He faced a few injury concerns during the Barcelona Open final against Holger Rune, but has since recovered and put in enough practice to be ready in time.

Ahead of his campaign in Rome, Alcaraz spoke to the media and shared his thoughts on Sinner’s return. He said he could imagine how difficult it must have been for the World No. 1 to spend three months away from the sport. Now that he is back, the Spaniard believes it’s a big boost for tennis and added that he hopes to face him in the final.

“I'm really happy to have him around again. It's been three months. Obviously for him was tough and I'm pretty sure was super long. But yeah, just I think it wasn't a better place to come back than here in his home, for him here in Rome,” Carlos Alcaraz said

“I saw him. As I say, yeah, it is great for me, for the tennis, for the fans to have him again around, that he's able to play a tournament again,” he added.

The four-time Grand Slam champion continued:

“We are in different sides of the draw. Hopefully I'm going to meet him at the final. But just want I want to say is I'm real happy to see him, his team around. I think, yeah, I'm going to enjoy watching him playing again, his matches. For the people I think is great.”

How Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner could meet in Italian Open 2025 final

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz pictured at the Six Kings Slam 2024 | Image Source: Getty

Carlos Alcaraz will begin his 2025 Italian Open campaign against Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic in the second round. In the third round, he’s likely to face Alex Michelsen, followed by a potential fourth-round clash with either Karen Khachanov or 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov.

In the quarterfinals, Alcaraz could face Holger Rune—who he met in the Barcelona Open final just a month ago—or the in-form Jack Draper. Both pose a serious challenge. If he makes it past that stage, a semifinal showdown with either Alexander Zverev or Lorenzo Musetti could await, followed by a potential clash with Jannik Sinner in the final.

Meanwhile, Sinner will begin his campaign against Mariano Navone. He’s expected to face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round, followed by a potential fourth-round clash with Lorenzo Musetti.

In the last eight, he could meet Ben Shelton, Sebastian Korda, or even Casper Ruud. If he makes it to the semifinals, possible opponents include Taylor Fritz, Andrey Rublev, Tommy Paul, or Alex de Minaur before a potential encounter with Alcaraz