Jannik Sinner wins Italian Open, Golden Masters

Jannik Sinner won the Italian Open on May 17, beating Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 in the final at Foro Italico in Rome. The victory gave the world No. 1 his first Rome title, ended a 50-year wait for an Italian men’s singles champion at the event, and completed the career Golden Masters — a sweep of all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. ATP Tour and Olympics reporting said Sinner joined Novak Djokovic as the only men to achieve that milestone. ### Why was the Rome title the missing piece for Sinner? Rome was the only Masters 1000 event Sinner had not won before Sunday. ATP Tour reporting said the 24-year-old had now captured all nine Masters 1000 titles after a one-hour, 44-minute win over Ruud, with Djokovic previously completing the set in 2018. The result also carried local significance. (atptour.com) ATP Tour, Olympics and Reuters reports said Sinner became the first Italian man to win the Rome title since Adriano Panatta in 1976. ### How did the final turn in Sinner’s favor? Ruud opened strongly on May 17 and broke early in the first set before Sinner settled. Olympics and Reuters reports said Sinner broke back quickly, then moved ahead at 5-4 when Ruud sent a shot long after a backhand exchange had brought up break point. (atptour.com) The second set followed the same scoreline. Reuters said Sinner broke in the opening game of the set and served out the match with a forehand winner, while ATP Tour described the Italian as imposing himself from the baseline after absorbing Ruud’s early aggression. ### What did Sinner say after the match? Sinner told the crowd in Rome that the moment carried extra weight because of the tournament’s place in Italian tennis. “I think this year was the 50th year since an Italian won and I am really, really happy,” he said in his on-court interview, according to ATP Tour reporting. (olympics.com) (atptour.com) “There was a lot of tension on both sides, it was not perfect tennis from both of us, but I am really happy,” Sinner said, according to ATP Tour and Olympics reporting. Reuters also quoted him telling the crowd: “It’s a historic day because we won the doubles and the singles.” ### How strong is the run Sinner takes into Paris? (atptour.com) ATP Tour said the Rome title was Sinner’s sixth consecutive ATP Masters 1000 title. Reuters reported that the streak across the level had reached 34 matches and included titles in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and now Rome. Ruud, a two-time French Open finalist, acknowledged the scale of Sinner’s season after the match. “What you are doing this year, it’s hard to describe with words,” Reuters quoted Ruud as saying. (atptour.com) ### Who else featured in the Rome finale day? Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori won the men’s doubles title in Rome on the same day. (atptour.com) ATP Tour and Reuters said the Italian pair beat Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, giving the hosts a doubles title before Sinner completed the singles sweep for Italy. Olympics reporting said Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Panatta were in attendance for the singles final. (thestar.com.my) The crowd at Campo Centrale chanted Sinner’s name as he closed out the match. Roland Garros main-draw play begins on May 24 and runs through June 7, according to the tournament’s official schedule. (atptour.com) Sinner heads to Paris after winning Rome, while Ruud goes to the French Open as one of the established clay-court contenders in the men’s draw. (rolandgarros.com) (olympics.com)