Carlos Alcaraz Keeps Smiling At Jannik Sinner’s Expense

Carlos Alcaraz’s shotmaking style is of the gonzo variety: He’ll opt for the unlikely winner attempt whenever possible, even when safe options are available. As a consequence, Alcaraz at his best is among the most viscerally thrilling spectacles in sports. At his worst, he could play against a potted plant and enable convincing arguments that the plant has better court sense. Through six points of his first-set tiebreak with No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner in the Italian Open final on Sunday, Alcaraz had seemingly heeded his critics and pursued reliable patterns. He opened up a 4-2 lead with a backhand pass just good enough to force an error, then a few big serves sprinkled on top. Very effective, nothing that made the highlight reel.