Sinner Wins Italian Open, Completes Golden Masters Collection

Jannik Sinner has completed the prestigious Golden Masters collection, becoming the second player after Novak Djokovic to win all nine Masters 1000 tournaments – the biggest events outside of Grand Slams. The 6-4, 6-4 victory over Casper Ruud in the Italian Open final on Sunday also made the world No. 1 the first Italian to win the tournament since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

“There is no better place to complete this collection,” Sinner said after triumphing on the Foro Italico clay court in front of a fervent home crowd. “For an Italian, this is one of the most special tennis venues. Winning here at least once in my career means a great deal to me.”

Djokovic completed the set in 2018 at Cincinnati at age 31, and later won at least two titles at each event. Sinner is now 24, and with his main rival Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by a right wrist injury, almost no one can stop him. “Welcome to the exclusive club, Jannik,” Djokovic wrote on Instagram.

Sinner extended his winning streak to 29 matches. He has not lost since Jakub Mensik defeated him in the Qatar Open quarterfinals on February 19. On clay this season, Sinner has won all 17 matches ahead of Roland Garros, which begins next Sunday.

As usual, Sinner celebrated calmly. He flashed a wide smile as he hit a forehand inside-out down the line on the first championship point, then put his hand to his head as if releasing pressure. He waved to the crowd, where former champion Panatta sat in the front row. “Adriano, after 50 years we have won back a very important trophy,” Sinner told the 75-year-old Panatta, who attended the awards ceremony.

Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam Sinner has not won: he has two Australian Open titles, one Wimbledon, and one US Open.

Atmosphere Like a Football Stadium

Sinner's victory took place in the presence of Italian President Sergio Mattarella. A year earlier, he had lost the Rome final to Alcaraz shortly after returning from a three-month doping ban. That defeat came a day after Jasmine Paolini in 2025 became the first Italian woman to win the Rome singles in 40 years, while also clinching the women's doubles title with partner Sara Errani.

Sinner's fans, many wearing orange – his signature color, matching his curly hair – created a football-like atmosphere on the 10,500-seat Campo Centrale. After many key points, the crowd chanted “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole; Sin-ner, Sin-ner.” This atmosphere continued throughout the award ceremony. Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis Federation, said that even if Rome had a 25,000-seat centre court – bigger than the US Open's Arthur Ashe Stadium – it would be packed.

No Signs of Fatigue

Sinner overcame exhaustion to beat Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals after a rain-delayed match stretched over two days. But against Ruud, ranked 25th in the world and a top clay-court player for years, Sinner showed no signs of fatigue. Ruud has reached two Roland Garros finals, losing to Rafael Nadal in 2022 and Novak Djokovic in 2023. The Norwegian missed a chance to lead 2-0 early in the first set, as Sinner broke back immediately and then broke again at the end of the set with three decisive drop shots – two of which left Ruud unable to run.

A powerful backhand down the line gave Sinner a break in the first game of the second set. Sinner improved his head-to-head record against Ruud to 5-0. “What you are doing this year is hard to put into words,” Ruud told Sinner during the awards ceremony. “It's truly an honour to watch you play tennis. Congratulations on making history.”

A Memorable Day for Italy

This was also a special day for the host nation as Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori became the first Italian pair to win the Rome men's doubles title since 1960. They defeated Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 7-6 (8), 6-7 (3), 10-3. Both the singles and doubles finals drew crowds watching on big screens on the Pietrangeli court adjacent to Campo Centrale. Earlier, Elina Svitolina defeated Coco Gauff in the women's singles final on Saturday.