has revealed why he did not reach out to Jannik Sinner during the Italian's three-month drug ban by saying: "I was playing." The Spaniard showed he will be the favourite for the by beating the Italian 7-6 6-1 in the final of the Rome Masters. The top two players are seeded to meet in the Roland Garros final on June 8.

And Sinner told Alcaraz in the trophy ceremony: "You will be the man to beat in Paris." The Wimbledon champion snapped Sinner's 26-match winning streak and became the first man to win three ATP events this season - including two on clay after also triumphing in Monte Carlo. Sinner was playing his first event since the Australian Open after agreeing to the three-month ban in February after twice testing positive to a banned substance last year.

In his pre-tournament press conference, the world No.1 said he had been surprised to be contacted by some players during his suspension - and surprised not to be contacted by others.

British No.1 Jack Draper, who Alcaraz beat in the quarter-finals in Rome, has been a big supporter of his friend Sinner and practised with him in Monte Carlo before the end of his ban. But Alcaraz did not make any contact with the Italian during the ban.

In his winner's press conference, he explained: "I don't know if he was thinking about me, he wasn't thinking about me. I don't know that. Well, I mean, for three months I can't feel him because I wasn't in that position.

"I mean, I can understand that he was surprised about some players who called him. I didn't call him. I didn't talk to him in those three months. But it wasn't about if I was agreed or not. I mean, I was playing.

"I was in my feelings, as well. Honestly, I can understand him that he was surprised about some other players who didn't call him. It is in his rights to say it. I have to say that I don't know if he said that because of me or not.

"What I can say is when he got injured sometimes just giving him my good energy just to have him back as soon as possible. It is about we're playing, fighting each other. In that three months, I can understand him, what he said. Honestly, I don't know if he was thinking about some players or others."

Alcaraz, who lost his first match in Miami, was forced to withdraw from the Masters 1000 in Madrid due to a groin injury but will go into Roland Garros having won 15 out of 16 matches on clay this season. His only defeat came in the Barcelona final to Holger Rune.

"Honestly the feeling that I'm having right now, it is a totally different feeling that I was feeling before, let's say before in Miami or before those tournaments," said the Spaniard.

"I'm approaching every match in a different way, which I'm really proud about that. I found the right path, the right way again. So I'm just feeling great, feeling great right now. Of course winning tournaments, lifting trophies gives you a lot of confidence coming to the next tournaments.

"Masters 1000s give you a lot of confidence in yourself just to know that you are on the right path, in the right way, playing great tennis. I'm just excited about what's come for me. That means that I'm doing the right things and I'm going to keep doing the right things, the right work, just coming to Paris."

Sinner, who destroyed No.7 seed Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals, had two set points in the first set in the Rome final but lacked match sharpness against the world No.2.

"If I would go back, I would play a couple of points in different way, that's for sure," said the home favourite. "I'm lacking some matches. There's no excuses, though. It's just that what I feel, if I would play them again, I would play them in different ways.

"Yeah, it's good. I played the maximum of matches here in Rome, which is very good. Now I have one week off, which is good for me. A couple of days to switch off mentally, and then being ready for an even more important tournament. So hopefully I'm ready. Yeah, let's see."