Jannik Sinner defeats Ruud, completes the Masters 1000 collection and makes history in front of his people
The Italian tennis player defeated Casper Ruud in the final of the Rome Masters 1000 and confirmed his absolute dominance on the circuit before Roland Garros.
Jannik Sinner once again showed why he is going through the best moment of his career. The world number one conquered the Rome Masters 1000 this Sunday after beating the Norwegian Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4, a result with which he completed the so-called “Career Golden Masters”, reserved for the champions of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments on the ATP circuit.
At just 24 years old, the Italian became the youngest player to achieve this mark and reinforced his candidacy as the top favorite for Roland Garros.
Sinner enters an exclusive group with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal
The triumph at the Foro Italico allowed Jannik Sinner to reach records that had only been achieved by legends such as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
The Italian already boasts nine Masters 1000 titles on the circuit and also equaled a feat by Nadal by winning the three major clay court tournaments in the same season: Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome.
In addition, he became the first player capable of winning six Masters 1000 in a row, a streak that includes Paris 2025, Indian Wells 2026, Miami 2026, Monte Carlo 2026, Madrid 2026 and now Rome.
This was Jannik Sinner's victory over Casper Ruud
The final began with an aggressive and solid Casper Ruud from serve. The Norwegian even managed to break Sinner's serve in the first games and showed a strategy focused on physically wearing down the Italian.
Ruud opted for long exchanges, deep shots and constant drop shots to move the world number one all over the court. For several minutes, the plan seemed to work.
However, Jannik Sinner quickly adjusted his tennis and began to dominate the match. The Italian came back on the scoreboard in the first set and ended up imposing conditions with his power from the back of the court.
In the second set, the local tennis player raised his level even further and forced Ruud to adopt a more defensive stance. Although the Norwegian fought until the end, Sinner closed the match after one hour and forty-five minutes of play.
The Foro Italico exploded with the title of Sinner
The atmosphere in Rome was a true celebration for Italian tennis. Orange wigs, flags, chants and t-shirts in Jannik Sinner's colors dominated the stands of the Foro Italico.
The expectation was enormous, since Italy had not seen a compatriot win the Rome Masters 1000 for fifty years, since the title won by Adriano Panatta in 1976.
Even the president of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, was present at the final and received a standing ovation before the start of the match.
After being crowned champion, Sinner remembered Panatta himself during the awards ceremony.
“Obviously I didn't see you win, maybe not even my parents were together yet,” the Italian said on the court to the transalpine tennis legend.
Sinner leaves physical doubts behind and sends a warning heading to Roland Garros
The title in Rome also served to clear up some of the doubts about the physical condition of Jannik Sinner, who showed signs of exhaustion during the semifinals.
The Italian breathed with difficulty at some moments, constantly leaned on his knees and even the cameras captured moments where he seemed physically affected. Speculation about possible anxiety attacks or physical problems grew rapidly on social networks.
Despite this, Sinner responded on the court and closed the tournament with authority.
The absence of Carlos Alcaraz, out due to injury, also paved the way for the Italian to consolidate his dominance on the clay court tour.
Jannik Sinner is already thinking about Roland Garros
With the Rome Masters 1000 in his hands, Jannik Sinner arrives as one of the great favorites to conquer Roland Garros, a tournament that does not yet appear in his record.
The Italian is experiencing a dominant stage on the ATP circuit. He regained number one in the world ranking, has 34 consecutive victories in Masters 1000 tournaments and continues to expand a collection of records that place him as the great figure of the new generation along with Carlos Alcaraz.
After conquering the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the ATP Finals in recent seasons, now his big goal is Paris.
Lifting the trophy at Roland Garros would allow him to get even closer to the absolute elite of world tennis and confirm that his dominance is just beginning.

