Sinner Is Champion Of Rome, Wins Sixth-Straight Masters Title

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (photo: Giampiero Sposito/FITP)

ROME/WASHINGTON, May 17, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)

Each time Jannik Sinner walks out on the tennis court, it seems that history follows him. It has been seen and felt throughout this Rome fortnight, where the South Tyrolean has loomed as a larger than life figure – equally revered and adored.

Sunday afternoon, in the championship final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia at Foro Italico, the 24-year-old Sinner faced Casper Ruud, 27, in a rematch of their 2025 Rome quarterfinal, which he won handily 6-0, 6-1. Fast forward to a year later, Sinner found himself on the same Campo Centrale court as before against Ruud but this time with bigger stakes on the line.

Indeed, Sinner and Ruud were playing for the Rome ATP Masters 1000 title on a day that featured clear skies and a pleasant, 20-degree Celsius climate – just about perfect for a tennis final – and it was attended by Sergio Mattarella, the President of the Italian Republic, and by Sinner’s parents, Johann and Siglinde, who rarely watch him play in person – all which lent to the importance of the occasion.

As it happened, Sinner – dressed in black from head to toe throughout the Roman fortnight – came in the favorite against the proud Norwegian Ruud, who had never won a set in four previous meetings with the Italian No. 1. 

Sinner rose to the occasion, moved freely throughout and beat Ruud, 6-4, 6-4, in one hour and 45 minutes. In a festive atmosphere that was part ATP Masters 1000 final and part coronation of a national hero, Sinner was feted with a standing ovation from the mostly-Italian crowd of 10,500 that filled all of the Campo Centrale seats after he secured championship point by hitting his 26th winner of the title match. He tapped his heart and waved to the crowd, beaming a big smile for all to enjoy and appreciate.

While Ruud has enjoyed tremendous success on clay since the start of the 2020 season, winning 140 matches on the red-brick surface and 12 titles, Sinner has been pretty successful, too.

By winning his fifth ATP Tour title of the season – all of them at ATP Masters 1000 level, at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome, moving him one shy of Novak Djokovic’s single-season record of six set in 2015 – Sinner has strung together 34 consecutive victories at 1000-series level and has won 29 straight matches in 2026. 

“I think this year was the 50th year since an Italian won and I am really, really happy,” Sinner said during 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.”

Indeed, Sinner ended a 50-year drought in Rome for the Italian men. He’s the first Italian men’s champion at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia since Adriano Panatta in 1976. Panatta was in attendance and sat front and center behind the north baseline. 

During the trophy ceremony, Panatta proudly presented Sinner with the champion’s trophy. The two shook hands and exchanged pleasantries while standing on the podium together.

“I think I’m already writing my own story,” Sinner said Thursday, after defeating World No. 14 Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinal round.

“I would have never imagined to stand here as the player what I’m right now. Back in the days when I was younger, I never thought I would arrive to such a high level of tennis.

“Now, I’m here. The perspective is obviously different. Mostly people think that I was fair play and a good person.

“This goes for me much more on top of everything. Underneath there is the level what I have produced hopefully for the rest of my career. I’m very, very solid player.

“That’s it, no?”

Looking back on how the final unfolded: At 4-all in the opening set, after exchanging early service breaks during the second and third games, Sinner gained two break points against Ruud in the ninth game and cashed in on the second one to push ahead at 5-4. Ruud struck a backhand long that capped a nine-shot spirited, back-and-forth rally in what had been a competitive first set.

Sinner capitalized on the opportunity and consolidated the break at love with a third-shot overhead smash winner to secure the 49-minute set 6-4. Sinner outpointed Ruud 31-25.

Then, Sinner seized the moment in the opening game of the second set with a powerful, eighth-shot backhand winner down the line that broke Ruud and gave the Italian an early 1-0 lead to open the second set. He held with a solid service game for a 2-0 advantage as the pressure began to mount on Ruud, who was trying to find solutions to keep the championship final from getting away from him. 

Sinner gained another break point against Ruud in the third game but it was erased with a forehand winner that capped a five-shot rally. The Norwegian No. 1 went on to hold serve during the 10-point game – the longest of the set – and stayed within a break of Sinner. However, Sinner breezed through his next service game and easily held for a 3-1 advantage, capping it off with an angled, forehand drop-shot winner.

Soon, Sinner increased the margin of his lead to 4-2 after playing from ahead in his service game, then pulled through in the eighth game after saving a break point to gain a 5-3 advantage. It put Sinner one game away from an historic finish to the Roman fortnight. Later, ahead 5-4 and serving for set, match and championship, Sinner jumped ahead quickly 40-0. Then, on championship point, Sinner won it all with a fifth-shot, inside-out forehand winner. 

Immediately, Sinner raised his arms in celebration and smiled as he looked toward his team and his parents in the stands. On the run of his life, Sinner came through and took his bow when he returned to the court after receiving congratulations from Ruud. Once he came off the court, Sinner signed the camera lens Grazie a tuti ❤️.

“It was physical and very tough but I am very happy,” Sinner added during his on-court interview before the trophy ceremony. “I give big thanks to my physical team I have all year long, trying to keep up my body, which is as important as the tennis coaches, so I am really happy.”

The victory was Sinner’s 29th-straight win this season and his 34th-consecutive victory at ATP Masters 1000 level. Sinner also completed the set of titles at all nine ATP Masters 1000 events, joining Djokovic, who completed the Golden Masters set in 2018 at Cincinnati at age 31 – seven years older than Sinner.

Sinner also joined Rafael Nadal (2010) as the only players to win all three ATP Masters 1000 titles on clay in a single season, following his earlier title wins at Monte-Carlo and Madrid.

By winning Rome, Sinner also became the seventh player to capture 10-plus titles in ATP Masters 1000 history. He joins Djokovic (2011, 2015) and Nadal (2013) as the only men to win five ATP Masters 1000 titles in a season.

En route, Sinner secured victories against Sebastian Ofner of Austria, Alexei Popyrin of Australia, qualifier Andrea Pellegrino of Italy, No. 12 seed Andrey Rublev of Russia, No. 7 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia and No. 23 seed Ruud.

Sinner finished the title match by hitting 26 winners to 15 unforced errors, won 83 percent (29 of 35) of his first-serve points, converted three of five break-point chances and outpointed Ruud 66-53. By comparison, Ruud hit 22 winners, made 23 unforced errors and won 65 percent (24 of 37) of his first-serve points. He broke Sinner once in two tries.

“I have to congratulate Jannik for his first title here,” Ruud said in his remarks during the trophy ceremony. “What you are doing this year is hard to describe with words. As someone who is also playing tennis at the highest level, to realize what you are doing is hard to describe.

“It is an honor to watch you play and to be able to share the court with you today in a beautiful arena at your home Masters 1000. Congratulations to you for making history for yourself, your country, your team. It is fantastic to witness.”

In accepting the champion’s trophy, Sinner said: “Casper, first of all, congrats to you and your whole team. It’s great to see you back playing the highest level of our sport. Now, the most important tournament for you personally is coming up. I wish you only the best. I’m very happy for you that things are going very well for you off the court, for you and your fiancée. Wish you only the best for future events.”

Bolelli/Vavassori win Rome doubles, first Italian champions in Open Era

Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori became the first all-Italian team to win the Rome doubles title in the Open Era with their 7-6 (8), 6-7 (3), 10-3 victory over two-time Rome champions and this year’s No. 2 seeds Marcel Granollers of Spain and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina in two hours and 17 minutes on Campo Centrale Sunday afternoon.

It was the second career ATP Masters 1000 title for the No. 7 seeds – and the first for Bolelli and Vavassori since winning at Miami in 2025. It’s their 10th title together since forming as a team in 2021. With Sunday’s title victory, Bolelli and Vavassori improved to 109-55 as a team (20-5 this season).

Meanwhile, Granollers and Zeballos, who won the 2020 and 2024 Rome titles, dropped to 216-97 overall (18-7 this season). They’ve won 15 titles as a team, including eight ATP Masters 1000 crowns.

Ahead 9-3 in the championship tie-break after splitting the first two sets, both in tie-breaks, Bolelli secured the title victory with a third-shot forehand winner that grazed off Granoller’s racquet. Vavassori, 31, dropped to his back in glee, then rose and celebrated with Bolelli, 40. They received a standing ovation from the Italian fans who filled Campo Centrale.

Bolelli and Vavassori outpointed Granollers and Zeballos 87-85. It was the third match of the tournament that Bolelli and Vavassori had secured by winning a match tie-break.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Bolelli, during an on-court interview with ATP Media, after playing in his 18th Rome Masters event. “You know, to be the winner of our hometown tournament is a dream come true. We are very happy, obviously. The match was really tight until the end against one of the strongest teams in the world.

“I’m very happy for me, for my partner and for all the team. We’ve been searching for a long time for this result. This is our second 1000 [title] together, so we’re very happy.”

Added Vavassori: “I think we played one of the best doubles matches we’ve ever played against one of the strongest teams. They’ve played unbelievable for many seasons. They are one of the toughest teams to beat in the finals.

“I’m really proud. It was a long way to get here. I’m really proud of my partner, what we’ve been through. I want to dedicate this to my father, my mother, my family for all the sacrifices we’ve been through to be here now. We’re going to enjoy this one.”

The last time an all-Italian team won the Rome doubles title was in 1960, when Nicola Pietrangeli and Orlando Sirola shared the title with Australians Roy Emerson and Neale Fraser. Finally, a sixty-six year wait was over for Italy at its home country tournament.

Bolelli and Vavassori were the first all-Italian team to reach the Rome final in the Open Era (since 1968) and the first all-Italian team since Pietrangeli and Sirola in 1963 to make it to the title match.

By the numbers

Jannik Sinner became the sixth player to win ATP Masters 1000 titles in both Madrid and Rome since the series began in 1990. The others include: Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Andy Murray.

“Quotable …”

“All in all of course very good tournament. I won some good matches against good players, playing some of the best tennis I’ve done this year. Really happy about those feelings leaving Rome with these memories.

“Hopefully I can build on it for next week and Roland-Garros. Push myself to get even better and play my best tennis for Roland-Garros is the goal.”

– Rome finalist Casper Ruud, during his post-match news conference after losing the title match to Jannik Sinner.

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