Records tumble as indomitable Jannik Sinner dominates Rome Masters

The world number one's straight set victory against rival Ruud was Sinner's sixth consecutive success in ATP Masters tournaments, continuing a winning record that stretched back to the Paris Masters at the back end of 2025.

But it wasn't entirely straightforward. Sinner weathered an early wave of Ruud aggression, as the challenger won eight of the first nine points to take a quick 2-0 lead. However, the Italian then settled and found his timing, getting on the board in the third game as the dominance started.

Sinner broke Ruud immediately at the start of the second set, blasting a backhand winner down the line. There was only going to be one winner after that break.

"I think this year was the 50th year since an Italian won and I am really, really happy," Sinner said in his on-court interview.

"There was a lot of tension on both sides, it was not perfect tennis from both of us, but I am really happy. [It has been] an incredible past two and a half months. I try to put myself in the best possible position every time and do the best I can. Not every day is simple, but I am really, really happy."

Meanwhile, Ruud was full of compliments.

"I have to congratulate Jannik for his first title here," said the Norwegian.

"What you are doing this year is hard to describe with words. As someone who is also playing tennis at the highest level, to realise what you are doing is hard to describe."

Sinner's success in an hour and 45 minutes extended his winning run to 29 matches and also made him the first Italian man to win the competition since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

He also broke Novak Djokovic's record of successive wins in ATP Masters matches when he beat Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals in Rome and he has now extended that record to a staggering 34 matches.

His latest ATP Masters title allowed him to join Djokovic as the only other player to win all nine of the marquee tournaments on the ATP Tour.

While money has not been Sinner's motivation for some time after his staggering run of success over the last couple of seasons, he has pocketed another 1 million euro following his win in Rome.

That addition to his all-time prize money sees Sinner closing in on Andy Murray, who sits in fifth place in the all-time prize money charts with career earnings on court of $64,687,542.

He is set to overtake the Scot when he plays at the French Open and with Carlos Alcaraz out of that tournament, there is a very good chance that Sinner will move ahead of his big rival in the prize money stakes at Roland Garros.

Alcaraz has $64,997,598 in prize money and sits in fourth place in the all-time list, with Sinner's total now standing at $64,507.489.

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