Alcaraz is the clear favorite for the French Open. But Sinner is building back to top form

ROME (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz is the clear favorite for the French Open. Top-ranked Jannik Sinner is back from his doping ban, though, and building himself back up to full strength day by day.

Those were the verdicts after Alcaraz beat Sinner to win the Italian Open a week before Roland Garros starts on Sunday.

Alcaraz’s title in Rome boosted his record on clay this season to 15-1.

“On clay right now, you’re the best player,” Sinner told Alcaraz during the trophy ceremony after the Spaniard's 7-6 (5), 6-1 win Sunday.

Sinner held two set points during the first set against Alcaraz in his first tournament following his three-month suspension.

“The level he has played in this tournament is insane after three months without playing,” Alcaraz said. “He’s going to be better and better. … He’s going to be a really dangerous player in Paris.”

If Alcaraz and Sinner meet again in Paris, it will be in the final, because Alcaraz moved up to No. 2 in the rankings on Monday — meaning they will be on opposite sides of the draw at Roland Garros.

Alcaraz beat Sinner over five sets in the French Open semifinals en route to the title last year. Alcaraz then also defended his Wimbledon title for his fourth Grand Slam trophy.

“It was good to play him before two Grand Slams,” Sinner said. “Certainly with my movement I need to understand better where to be at certain monents. That’s different on clay from hard courts. There are small things I need to improve.

“Clay is the surface where I have the toughest time. There’s no use hiding it,” the Italian added.

Indeed, Sinner has won only one of his 19 career titles on clay, in Umag, Croatia, in 2022 — when he beat Alcaraz in the final.

Sinner’s three months away from the sport caught up with him when he couldn’t put up a fight in the second set against Alcaraz before his home fans at the Foro Italico.

“I certainly need to increase my intensity and hold it for a longer period of time,” Sinner said. “I need to play more matches.”

The loss to Alcaraz snapped Sinner’s 26-match winning streak, which included the Italian’s third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.

“Paris will be a completely different tournament,” Sinner said. “It’s a Grand Slam and that makes for different emotions. The tensions will definitely increase, because Grand Slams are even more important to me. But I like that.”

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Jannik Sinner of Italy, back, embraces to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during their final tennis match in the Italian Open at the Foro Italico in Rome, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, left, and Jannik Sinner of Italy pose for the photographers after their final tennis match in the Italian Open at the Foro Italico in Rome, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates after winning the Italian Open tennis tournament at the Foro Italico in Rome, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, kisses the trophy after winning the Italian Open tennis tournament at the Foro Italico in Rome, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, holds the trophy after winning the Italian Open tennis tournament next to Jannik Sinner of Italy at the Foro Italico in Rome, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

MUMBAI, India (AP) — Shreyas Iyer was provisionally named in India’s squad on Saturday for the home one-day international series against New Zealand starting Jan. 11.

India will host the Black Caps in a white-ball engagement — three ODIs and five T20s — in the build-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Iyer returns to the international fold after sustaining a spleen injury during an ODI against Australia in Sydney last October.

His selection is subject to fitness clearance from BCCI’s medical team and he will return as India’s vice-captain for the three-match series.

Skipper Shubman Gill also returns, after he missed the ODI series against South Africa in December. He had a neck spasm in the test series earlier, and subsequently played in the T20s against the Proteas.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Verma missed out. Gaikwad had scored a maiden ODI hundred against South Africa in Visakhapatnam.

Rishabh Pant is retained as second keeper-batter behind Lokesh Rahul, who had stood in as captain against the Proteas.

Star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had both participated in the domestic List A tournament — Vijay Hazare Trophy — and return to the international stage for the ODIs.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya is fit, but not sufficiently enough to bowl 10 overs in an ODI. Thus, he has been rested further ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup (in India and Sri Lanka) starting Feb. 7. Nitish Kumar Reddy is included in the squad.

Pacer Mohammed Siraj returns to lead the bowling lineup with Jasprit Bumrah rested again. Siraj had missed the South Africa series because of workload management.

The three ODIs will be played in Vadodara (Jan. 11), Rajkot (Jan. 14) and Indore (Jan. 18), with the five-match T20 series starting Jan. 21.

Squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

FILE - Captain of Punjab Kings Shreyas Iyer addresses a news conference on the eve of the final match of Indian Premier League at Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, India, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)