Jannik Sinner wins Italian Open for a record sixth-straight ATP Masters title
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Italy's Jannik Sinner in action during his Italian Open men's final against Norway's Casper Ruud.
PHOTO: REUTERS
ROME – World No. 1 Jannik Sinner joined Novak Djokovic as the only players to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 events since the series began in 1990 after a 6-4, 6-4 win over 25th-ranked Casper Ruud in the Italian Open final on May 17.
The Italian’s victory over the Norwegian at the Foro Italico also helped him extend his record to 34 straight wins in Masters 1000 tournaments, having surpassed Djokovic’s mark of 31 after defeating Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals on May 14.
Sinner also ended a 50-year drought as he became the first Italian man to win the tournament since Adriano Panatta in 1976.
“It’s a historic day because we won the doubles and the singles,” Sinner told the singing, chanting crowd in Foro Italico.
“Last year Jasmine Paolini won the (women’s) singles and doubles... we’re keeping the momentum on.”
This is also a record sixth consecutive Masters 1000 title for the 24-year-old following triumphs in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid, making the four-time Grand Slam champion the hot favourite to win his first French Open at Roland Garros from May 24 to June 7.
“What you are doing this year, it’s hard to describe with words,” said Ruud, a two-time French Open finalist.
“Congratulations to you for making history for yourself, for your country, for your team.”
On May 16, Elina Svitolina also signalled her Roland Garros ambitions by battling past world No. 4 Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2 in the women’s final to lift her first clay-court title of the season.
Victory against the American followed her wins over world No. 2 Elena Rybakina and third-ranked Iga Swiatek, making the Ukrainian a strong contender to claim a maiden Grand Slam title in Paris.
Svitolina’s third title in the Italian capital comes eight years after her second successive triumph at the Foro Italico in 2018, a spell that included a maternity break in which she gave birth to her daughter with fellow player Gael Monfils in 2022.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been eight years since I had this trophy here,” said the 31-year-old, whose biggest career title came at the 2018 WTA Finals in Singapore.
“I’m very pleased with my two weeks here. Congratulations to Coco for a great tournament. You’re such a great champion, and I hope we can have more battles in the future.”
The seventh seed twice came from a break down to level a tight first set at 4-4 against Gauff, and held on under huge pressure during exhausting rallies to get ahead in the ninth game with some powerful hitting.
A couple of untimely double faults from the 22-year-old American in the next game gifted Svitolina the opening set, and she dialled up the intensity late in the next set to go within touching distance of a third Rome title.
Gauff, the reigning Roland Garros champion, held on bravely until 5-5 in the second set and then broke with a volley at the net, after a shot that clipped the net cord unsettled the Ukrainian and forced her into making a flat return.
That joy was short-lived as Svitolina broke back immediately, but the third seed raised her game in the tiebreak to drag the match into a deciding set, where there was little to separate the duo after the opening four games.
A backhand error from Gauff meant the world No. 10 sealed a vital break in the fifth game and she pounced again for a double break, before holding her nerve in a tense finish to secure victory on her third match point.
Svitolina later thanked Ukrainians back home as the country continues to grapple with war following Russia’s 2022 invasion.
“Many of them are in bomb shelters and it’s been really heavy in the past couple of weeks for Ukraine,” she added.
“I want to thank you for all the support from afar, I feel all the love.”
A distraught Gauff was left to digest her third straight defeat by Svitolina, following losses in the Australian Open quarter-finals and Dubai semi-finals earlier in 2026.
“Another tough battle between us. I’m on the other side but hopefully one of these days I can get over that,” she said.
“You had an incredible tournament with a lot of long matches against great players, so congratulations to you and your team.
“Hopefully I’ll see you at the French Open, in the final.” REUTERS