Jannik Sinner, of Italy, holds his trophy after defeating Casper Ruud, of Norway in the final. (AP Photo)
In a historic display of dominance, Jannik Sinner became the first Italian man to win the Rome Masters in 50 years since Adriano Panatta in 1976 on Sunday. The 24-year-old world No.1 secured the Italian Open title with a clinical 6-4, 6-4 victory over Casper Ruud in the final on the red clay of the Foro Italico, also making him only the second man after Novak Djokovic to win all nine Masters 1000 events — the biggest tournaments outside the Grand Slams.“There’s no better place to complete this set,” Sinner said on completing the Career Golden Masters. “For an Italian, it’s one of the most special places we play tennis in. To win at least once in my career means a lot to me.” As Panatta watched from the front row, a visibly emotional Sinner addressed the legend: “Adriano, after 50 years, we’ve won back a very important trophy.”Sinner’s current form is nothing short of legendary. This win marks his sixth consecutive Masters 1000 title and extends his winning streak at this level to a record-breaking 34 matches. Across all competitions, he remains unbeaten in 29 matches, a streak dating back to mid-February. At 24, he became the youngest to achieve the feat of winning all nine Masters 1000 events while Djokovic completed the feat at the age of 31 in 2018. The atmosphere at the Campo Centrale was electric, with 10,500 fans creating a vibrant, soccer-style environment in support of Italy’s most celebrated athlete. Angelo Binaghi, the president of the Italian tennis federation, suggested that even if there was a 25,000-seat center court in Rome — bigger than the U.S. Open’s Arthur Ashe Stadium, the world’s largest tennis arena — it would have been full.In a day to remember for the host nation, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori became the first Italian duo to win the men’s doubles title in Rome since 1960. Bolelli and Vavassori beat Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 7-6 (8), 6-7 (3), 10-3.With his “Golden Masters” collection now complete, all eyes shift to Roland Garros. The French Open is the final piece of the puzzle for Sinner to complete a career Grand Slam. With his rival Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by a wrist injury and Sinner riding an impeccable 17-0 record on clay this year, the Italian is favorite to clinch the title in Paris.
