Jannik Sinner has claimed his sixth consecutive Masters 1000 title, beating Casper Ruud in the Italian Open final.
Sinner, who is now the only man ever to do this in tennis history, beat the former world number two 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday afternoon at Nicola Pietrangeli Stadium.
Many expected Ruud to push Sinner hard in this match. The first set was competitive, but once Sinner found his rhythm in the second set, he quickly took control.
Photo By Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images
Jannik Sinner has become just the second player in men’s tennis history, after Novak Djokovic, to claim titles at all nine Masters 1000 events.
Sinner reached the milestone in remarkable fashion, doing so in 62 fewer matches than Djokovic needed when he completed his own set.
At just 24 years old, Sinner already boasts ten Masters titles and an impressive 81 per cent win rate in these tournaments, according to OptaAce.
While Djokovic required 104 matches to achieve his sweep, Sinner managed it in only 42. The Italian now heads into the Canadian Open with a chance to extend his run even further.
Sinner’s win also ended a long drought for Italian men at this event. He is the first local champion since Adriano Panatta in 1976. Panatta is well-known as the only man to ever beat Bjorn Borg at Roland Garros and won his Rome title by coming from behind against Guillermo Vilas.
With form on his side and momentum building, Sinner will head into Roland Garros as one of the favourites next month. He has now won 29 consecutive ATP Tour matches and looks set to continue this level of play for some time.
Speaking during his Sky Sports commentary, the seven-time Grand Slam doubles winner had this to say: “That’s the problem or the challenge of playing Jannik.”
“Jannik’s level is so high that it rarely… well, his floor is so high, that’s the thing. If you let up for a minute or two minutes, or two or three points, you lose your serve, you lose the set, it’s gone.
“And I think, the form that Sinner’s in, he’ll be very happy to have got through that first set and you know he’ll be a big favourite to go on and win this match with only one set more to go for him.”
Sinner now turns his focus towards Roland Garros, where many see him as the top pick to take home the trophy.
Carlos Alcaraz won’t be there to defend his title after picking up a wrist injury at Barcelona Open back in April. With Alcaraz out of action in Paris, it opens up opportunities for others. Could Alexander Zverev finally win a major title?
This leaves Sinner as one of the main favourites when Roland Garros gets underway during the week beginning May 24.
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