Italian Open: Jannik Sinner unbeaten, overtakes Novak Djokovic to set Masters world record before French Open

Jannik Sinner has reached a new level in men’s tennis, producing a season of consistent dominance that has now seen him overtake Novak Djokovic’s long-standing Masters 1000 record. The World No. 1 extended his winning streak at Masters events to a record-breaking 32 consecutive wins, surpassing Djokovic’s previous best of 31 and overtaking legends like Roger Federer (29) and Rafael Nadal (23) in the all-time standings.

The milestone came during his latest surge in Rome, where Sinner defeated Andrey Rublev to book a place in the Italian Open semi-finals. They needed just one hour and 31 minutes to win the quarter-finals 6–2, 6–4 at the Campo Central on Thursday, 14 May.

After the win, Sinner reiterated that he does not chase records but focuses on his journey. He stressed recovery as the top priority before their next match, highlighting the emotional challenge of competing on home soil and calling it a “win-win” day after a strong performance.

“I don’t play for records. I just play for my story. Also it means a lot to me, but there is another opponent tomorrow. We will play in different conditions. It will be a night match. Let’s see. The top priority for me now is to try to recover as much as possible physically.”

“We’ll see how it goes. Emotionally, it takes a lot of time playing here on home ground. At the same time, I’ll definitely try to do my best. We’ll see how it goes. Either way it’s a win-win situation for me in any case. Today was a good day,” he said.

How the papacy brought down Rublev

From the start, Sinner dictated the game with deep, heavy groundstrokes that pushed Rublev back from the baseline. The Russian attempted to impose himself with his trademark forehand power, but Sinner’s defensive excellence and ability to redirect momentum consistently neutralized the threat. The key moments came on the return, where Sinner repeatedly targeted Rublev’s second serve to create early break opportunities.

Once in control, the sinner never let go. He disrupted Rublev’s rhythm with depth, variation and sharp angles, leading to errors from the backhand wing. Even when Rublev tried to increase the aggression in the second set, Sinner’s efficiency on the first serve and ability to make cool decisions under pressure kept him firmly ahead.

The victory moved Sinner closer to a rare milestone, career Golden Masters, achieved by winning all nine ATP Masters 1000 events. He is now just two wins away from becoming the second player in history behind Djokovic to complete that set, further underscoring the scale of his dominance on the ATP Tour.

– ends

published by:

Sabyasachi Chaudhary

Published on:

May 14, 2026 19:26 IST



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