Jannik Sinner continued his dominance on clay by overpowering Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to win the Italian Open in Rome, becoming the first Italian man in 50 years to claim the title. The world No. 1 now joins Novak Djokovic as the only players to have won all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.
Historic Achievement at 24
Sinner completed the set of Masters 1000 titles at just 24 years old, a feat previously achieved only by Djokovic at age 31. He also set a record for consecutive Masters 1000 wins, becoming the first man to win six straight titles and the first to win the first five of a season. Additionally, Sinner is the only player besides Rafael Nadal (2010) to win all three clay-court Masters 1000 events in a single year.
“There’s no better place to complete this set,” Sinner said. “It has been a very interesting tournament. I always felt a lot of positive attention and emotions. For an Italian, this is one of the most special places to play tennis. To win at least once in my career means a lot.”
Match Highlights
Despite a slow start, Sinner recovered to defeat the 23rd seed Casper Ruud in straight sets. The victory was witnessed by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who presented the trophy alongside 1976 champion Adriano Panatta, the last Italian man to win the event.
“It’s amazing the support an Italian gets here, especially in Rome,” Sinner added. “Many important people came today. I tried not to look outside the court and stay focused, but they gave me very positive feelings.”
With Carlos Alcaraz absent due to injury, Sinner heads to the French Open as the overwhelming favorite, seeking his first Roland Garros title.
