Jannik Sinner makes records with 5th successive Masters 1000 title
What's the story
World number one Jannik Sinner has made tennis history by winning his fifth consecutive ATP Masters 1000 title. He achieved this remarkable feat at the Mutua Madrid Open on Sunday, defeating Alexander Zverev in straight sets (6-1, 6-2) at Manolo Santana Stadium. With this victory, Sinner became the first male player to win five Masters 1000 events in a row.
Title run
Sinner's path to the title
Sinner's path to the title wasn't easy. He had to win five tournaments in a row - Paris last November, and Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo and Madrid this year. The Italian star has only lost two sets during these five title runs and didn't face a single break point against Zverev in the final match. "I think there is a lot of work behind it," Sinner said after his historic win.
Zverev's challenge
Zverev falls short in Madrid
Zverev came to Madrid hoping to become the fourth man after Rafael Nadal (five titles), Novak Djokovic (three), and Roger Federer (three) to win at least three Madrid titles. However, Sinner's dominance was evident in several key metrics. He converted all four break points he earned, didn't face a single break point himself, and won 93% of points behind his first serve.
Final match
A look at match summary
Sinner's performance in the final was nothing short of spectacular. He broke Zverev straight away and took a 5-0 lead after losing just two points on the German's first two service games. The Italian then capitalized on another sloppy game from Zverev to break for 2-1 in the second set. Despite Zverev struggling to find his rhythm, Sinner remained calm and composed throughout, breaking his opponent four times during their encounter.
Future plans
Sinner eyes career Golden Masters in Rome next week
Sinner has now won eight of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments. The only title he is yet to win is the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. This means that the 24-year-old has a chance to complete the Career Golden Masters on home soil at next week's event. He hopes to join Djokovic as the only man to complete this feat, having won all nine Masters 1000 events twice.
Records
Massive records for Sinner
As per Opta, Sinner has won a ninth straight H2H meeting vs Zverev. Since 1990, it is now the equal-most consecutive wins against a fellow top five opponent, after Federer-Roddick (ATP Finals 2003-ATP Finals 2007). Sinner became the first player to concede 3 games or fewer in a completed ATP Masters 1000 final since Nadal (Montreal 2019). He is also the first to do so against an ATP top five opponent since Nadal (IW 2009).
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First player with this feat
Sinner is now the first player in the format's history to win each of the first four ATP Masters 1000 events in a calendar year. He has won titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid.