Jannik Sinner is continuing to write his name into the record books at a pace rarely seen in the modern men’s game.
By winning the Italian Open in front of an adoring home crowd on Sunday, 24-year-old Sinner completed the full set of nine ATP Masters 1000 titles – known as the ‘career Golden Masters’.
Novak Djokovic, the inimitable 24-time Grand Slam champion, is the only other man to achieve the feat.
World number one Sinner has now won a record six Masters titles in a row after beating Norway’s Casper Ruud in the Rome final.
The controlled manner of Sinner’s 6-4 6-4 victory – resiliently recovering from falling an early break down, showing his variety by unpicking Ruud with the drop-shot, then solidly rolling his way through the second set – underlined why he has a tight grip on the men’s tour.
“I’m really, really happy – it’s been an incredible last two and a half months,” said Sinner, who has also won the Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid Masters titles this season.
“There has been a lot of tension – especially here in the final. But it’s a learning process. I can’t know everything at 24 years old.”
