Sinner has not lost at a Masters 1000 event since Shanghai in October 2025 and has won 58 of his past 60 sets at this level.

No-one has been able to challenge Sinner in the past few months, with the Italian reclaiming the world number one spot from Alcaraz with victory in Monte Carlo last month.

With Alcaraz out of the French Open with injury, it is difficult to see who will stop Sinner completing a career Grand Slam in Paris later this month.

Earlier, British number one Cameron Norrie lost to Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante in the second round.

The 17th seed lost 6-3 7-5 to Tirante, who is ranked at a career-best 69th in the world.

Norrie, the world number 19, was playing his opening match after a first-round bye. He was immediately at a disadvantage, losing his first service game as he swiftly trailed 3-0 in the first set, which the unseeded Tirante served out in 34 minutes.

The second set was a tighter affair, with both players holding serve until Tirante broke for 6-5, and the 25-year-old then delivered a match-clinching service game to love.

The exit of Norrie, 30, ends British involvement in the singles in Rome, after Katie Boulter lost to Germany’s Eva Lys in the first round of the women’s draw on Wednesday.

Jack Draper, Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal are among the British players who are absent from the tournament this year with various injury and illness issues.

Tirante, who is presently Argentina’s seventh highest ranked men’s player, will face Italy’s 10th seed Flavio Cobolli in the third round.