Jannik Sinner has become the youngest man to reach the final of all nine Masters 1000 tournaments after a dominant victory over Arthur Fils at the Madrid Open. The world number one followed in the footsteps of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer by completing the set, achieving the feat at the age of 24, a year younger than Djokovic's record.
Sinner's Dominant Performance
Sinner, who has been open about finding the conditions at the Caja Magica challenging, dropped just one set during the tournament. Against Fils, one of the most in-form players on the tour, Sinner did not face a single break point, winning 6-2, 6-4. He is now one victory away from becoming the first man to win five consecutive Masters titles.
“Obviously very, very happy,” Sinner told Sky Sports. “One more final here, it’s an amazing result. For me, the most important was trying to raise my level today, which I’ve done, especially first set – very, very aggressive and I’m changing direction very well. I’m very happy to close it out in two and it means a lot to me, of course.”
Sinner has not lost since a surprise defeat to Jakub Mensik in Doha in February. He has since won titles in Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo, extending his unbeaten streak to 22 matches. In the final, he will face Alexander Zverev, who defeated unseeded Belgian Alexander Blockx 6-2, 7-5. Sinner has won his last eight meetings against Zverev and holds a 9-4 head-to-head record.
Raducanu Reunites with US Open Coach
Emma Raducanu is set to return to action at the Italian Open next week and has been training with Andrew Richardson, the coach who helped her win the US Open title in 2021. The British number one faced criticism for parting ways with Richardson shortly after her historic Grand Slam victory, where she became the first qualifier to win a major title.
Raducanu's camp confirmed she spent time training last week in Spain with Richardson at the Ferrer Tennis Academy near Alicante, where he is based. Richardson, who also coached Raducanu as a junior, had reportedly been keen to continue their partnership after the US Open, but she chose to hire Torben Beltz, a more experienced tour coach. That decision was one of several brief coaching appointments Raducanu has made, the most recent ending after the Australian Open when she split with Francisco Roig.
PA Media understands there are currently no plans for Richardson to take on a permanent role. Raducanu has been working mainly with hitting partner Alexis Canter since parting ways with Roig, though she briefly turned to Mark Petchey during Indian Wells in March.
Raducanu has been absent from the tour since a second-round loss to Amanda Anisimova in Indian Wells, withdrawing from tournaments in Miami, Linz, and Madrid due to the effects of a virus she contracted in early February. It was unclear whether she would compete in Rome, but after returning to training, she is hopeful of playing and will practice at the Foro Italico on Saturday.
