Sinner beats Rublev to reach Italian Open semifinals, sets Masters 1000 record

Jannik Sinner reached the Italian Open semifinals on May 14 with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Andrey Rublev in Rome, extending his run at ATP Masters 1000 events to a record 32 straight victories. The ATP Tour said the result moved the world No. 1 past Novak Djokovic’s previous mark of 31 consecutive wins at that level, set in 2011. The quarterfinal lasted 1 hour, 32 minutes at Foro Italico, where Sinner is chasing his first Rome title after finishing runner-up a year ago. ATP Tour coverage said the Italian will face Daniil Medvedev in Friday’s semifinal. ### How did Sinner beat Rublev in Rome? Sinner opened the match with an early break and took the first set 6-2, according to match coverage from the ATP Tour and the Associated Press. The top seed controlled rallies from the baseline and repeatedly found the lines in a straight-sets win over Rublev, who is ranked No. 14 by the AP report. (atptour.com) The second set was tighter. ATP Tour coverage said Sinner led 4-1 before dropping serve for the first time in the tournament, but he closed out the match 6-4 to improve to 8-3 against Rublev in their head-to-head meetings. ### What exactly is the record he broke? The ATP Tour said Sinner’s victory was his 32nd consecutive win in Masters 1000 events, the highest total in the series’ history. (atptour.com) That surpassed Djokovic’s 31-match streak from 2011, according to the ATP Tour and AP. ATP Tour coverage said the streak spans titles in Paris late last season and every Masters 1000 event played in 2026 to date — Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo and Madrid — before Rome. (atptour.com) Reuters and Olympics.com also reported that the Rome quarterfinal pushed the streak to 32. ### What did Sinner say about the milestone? (atptour.com) “I don’t play for records,” Sinner said, according to the ATP Tour and AP. “I play just for my own story,” he said in AP’s account, while ATP Tour quoted him after the match discussing the conditions and calling Rome “a very special tournament” for him. (atptour.com) Rublev drew praise from Sinner after the match. “He’s a very dangerous player,” Sinner said, according to ATP Tour coverage, adding that both players had to adapt in difficult conditions. ### How unusual is Sinner’s 2026 Masters run? The ATP Tour said Sinner joined Rafael Nadal as the only men to reach the semifinals at the first five Masters 1000 events of a season, with Nadal doing so in 2010 and 2011. (apnews.com) The same report said Sinner is now two wins from a sixth straight Masters 1000 title, after winning Paris last season and the first four events at that level in 2026. (atptour.com) Reuters reported the Rome result came as Sinner continued a 27-match overall winning streak, adding another layer to his form heading into the French Open later this month. ### Who does Sinner play next, and when? (atptour.com) The ATP Tour said Sinner’s semifinal opponent is Daniil Medvedev, a former Rome champion. The semifinal is scheduled for Friday, May 15, at Foro Italico. Rome’s final is the next step after that. A win over Medvedev would send Sinner into the championship match as he tries to win the Italian Open for the first time on home soil. (thestar.com.my) (atptour.com)