A couple of weeks in Rome that started with the return of the prodigal son and then took in the election of a new Pope will have a fittingly blockbuster ending: the world’s two best male tennis players facing off for the Italian Open title.

The combined age of 45 years and 275 days between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest in a men's singles final at the Italian Open since 2009 (Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal)

Sunday’s final will mark the first meeting between Sinner and Alcaraz since October, when Alcaraz won the China Open final in a third-set tiebreaker. Alcaraz holds a 6-4 edge in their career meetings and has won three straight against his biggest rival.