Jannik Sinner seems unstoppable entering his home Italian Open with Carlos Alcaraz sidelined

ROME (AP) — Most tennis players — even some of the very best ones — have days where they struggle and don’t feel the ball the way that they want to.

For top-ranked Jannik Sinner, those types of days are getting rarer and rarer.

And with Carlos Alcaraz sidelined due to a right wrist injury, it doesn’t seem like anyone can beat the top-ranked Sinner as the heart of the tennis season approaches with the French Open and Wimbledon coming up over the next two months.

“He’s very stable. He doesn’t have dips. He doesn’t have phases where he goes down,” No. 3 Alexander Zverev said after getting routed by Sinner in Sunday’s Madrid Open final for his ninth straight loss to the Italian. “That’s why he’s world No. 1.”

Sinner’s title in the Spanish capital made him the first player to win five consecutive Masters 1000 events — the top tournaments outside of the Grand Slams — and extended his winning streak to 23 matches.

Sinner hasn’t lost since getting beat by Jakub Mensik in the Qatar Open quarterfinals on Feb. 19.

“There’s a big gap between Sinner and everybody else right now,” Zverev said. “It’s quite simple.

And to think that at age 24, Sinner is still developing his game.

“He hasn’t reached his full potential yet,” said Simone Vagnozzi, one of Sinner’s coaches. “We’re sure of that. And that’s key, because when you feel like you’ve maxed out it’s tough to find the motivation to keep training.”

Up next for Sinner is his home Italian Open, which starts this week and also happens to be the only Masters Series event that he hasn’t won.

While there have been questions over whether Sinner might sit out Rome after his string of successes and choose to rest up for the French Open, which starts May 24, he dismissed that idea after beating Zverev.

“Playing at home is always very special,” Sinner said. “Physically, I’m good. There is no reason not to play Rome.”

Last year, Sinner lost the Rome final to Alcaraz in his comeback tournament after a three-month doping ban.

Now it doesn’t seem like there’s anyone to stop him from becoming the first Italian man to raise the trophy at the Foro Italico since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago. The same goes for the French Open, which is the only Grand Slam title that Sinner hasn’t won.

Sinner wasted three match points in a fifth-set tiebreaker loss to Alcaraz in last year’s Roland Garros final.

There are three other Italians in the top 20 of the rankings: No. 10 Lorenzo Musetti; No. 12 Flavio Cobolli and No. 20 Luciano Darderi. But guess what? Sinner's career record against fellow Italians is a perfect 18-0.

On the women’s side, it’s a bit more difficult to pick out favorites during the clay season.

Like Sinner, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka pulled off the “Sunshine double” on hard courts with titles in Indian Wells, California, and Miami. But then she was beaten by Hailey Baptiste in the Madrid quarterfinals after wasting six match points.

Also in Madrid, four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek retired due to illness during a third-round match.

Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine took the trophy in Madrid by beating Mirra Andreeva for her first WTA 1000 title.

Last year in Rome, home player Jasmine Paolini swept the titles in both singles and doubles (with partner Sara Errani).

Coco Gauff was the runner-up in Rome last year and then went on to win the French Open.

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

Jannik Sinner, of Italy, celebrates after winning the men's singles tennis final match against Alexander Zverev, of Germany, at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Jannik Sinner, of Italy, holds the trophy after winning the men's singles tennis final match against Alexander Zverev, of Germany, at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, grabs his racket during the men's singles tennis final match againstJannik Sinner, of Italy, at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Jannik Sinner, of Italy, celebrates after winning the men's singles tennis final match against Alexander Zverev, of Germany, at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, right, pours sparkling wine over the head of Jannik Sinner, of Italy, at the end of the men's singles tennis final match against at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

A group of leading players including Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have expressed “their deep disappointment” at the level on prize money at Roland Garros amid a lingering dispute with Grand Slam tournament organizers.

The clay-court Grand Slam event starts later this month in western Paris. The players said they have other demands that have not been addressed by officials, including better representation, health and pensions.

The players' call came after French Open organizers announced last month the Roland Garros prize money has increased by about 10% for an overall pot of 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million), with the total amount up 5.3 million euros from last year.

“Players’ share of Roland Garros tournament revenue has declined from 15.5% in 2024 to 14.9% projected in 2026,” the group of players responded in a statement on Monday.

Play begins on May 24 at Roland Garros. Men’s and women’s singles champions each receive 2.8 million euros and the runners-up 1.4 million euros. Semifinalists earn 750,000 euros and first round losers get 87,000 euros. Men’s and women’s doubles winners pocket 600,000 euros and the mixed doubles champions get 122,000 euros.

But the statement said “the underlying figures tell a very different story,” claiming that players receive a declining share of the value they contribute to generate.

“According to tournament officials, Roland Garros generated 395 million euros in revenue in 2025, a 14% year-on-year increase, yet prize money rose by just 5.4%, reducing players’ share of revenue to 14.3%,” they said. “With estimated revenues of over 400 million euros for this year’s tournament, prize money as a percentage of revenue will likely still be less than 15%, far short of the 22% that players have requested to bring the Grand Slams into line with the ATP and WTA Combined 1000 events.”

French Open organizers did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

The same group of players had already signed a letter sent to the heads of the four Grand Slam tournaments last year, seeking more prize money and a greater say in what they called “decisions that directly impact us.”

The communications firm that released the statement said it was issued in the name of the original signatories to the initial letter, later adding that Novak Djokovic had not signed the new statement.

The players said they remain “united in their desire to see meaningful progress, both in terms of fair financial distribution and in how the sport is governed.” They insisted they have not received any response to their proposals on welfare, including pension and long-term health, adding that no progress has been made “on fair and transparent player representation within Grand Slam decision-making.”

“While other major international sports are modernizing governance, aligning stakeholders, and building long-term value, the Grand Slams remain resistant to change,” they said. “The absence of player consultation and the continued lack of investment in player welfare reflect a system that does not adequately represent the interests of those who are central to the sport’s success.”

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

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus returns the ball to Hailey Baptiste of the U.S. during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Coco Gauff of the U.S. returns the ball to Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Jannik Sinner, of Italy, returns the ball to Alexander Zverev, of Germany, during their men's singles tennis final match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)