Jannik Sinner crushes Alexander Zverev in 57 minutes to win Madrid Open, extends Masters 1000 streak to five

Key facts

• Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2 in the Madrid Open final on Sunday.
• The match lasted just 57 minutes, with Sinner losing only three games.
• Sinner has now won 28 consecutive Masters 1000 matches, a streak spanning titles in Paris (2025), Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and Madrid (all 2026).
• He is the fourth player to reach the final of all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, joining Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal.
• At 24, Sinner is the youngest to achieve this feat, surpassing Djokovic by one year.
• This is Sinner's ninth Masters 1000 title; his first came in Toronto in 2023.
• Sinner has beaten Zverev in their last nine meetings, with the last five in straight sets.
• Sinner's overall unbeaten streak stands at 22 matches.

A masterclass in Madrid

Jannik Sinner dismantled Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2 in the Madrid Open final on Sunday, needing just 57 minutes to claim his fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title. The world No. 1 conceded only three games, restricting Zverev to five points in the first five games before the German finally held serve in the sixth game of the opening set. Sinner broke Zverev twice more in the second set, closing out the match in under an hour. It was the most comprehensive victory of his career at this level, extending his head-to-head dominance over Zverev to nine straight wins, the last five in straight sets.

Record-breaking streak

With the Madrid title, Sinner became the first man to win five consecutive Masters 1000 tournaments, a run that began in Paris late last year. He followed that with titles in Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte-Carlo earlier this season, and now Madrid. His winning streak at this level now stands at 28 matches. Sinner also joined an elite club: only Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal had previously reached the final of all nine Masters 1000 events. At 24, Sinner is the youngest to complete the set, beating Djokovic's previous record by one year.

The path to the final

Sinner reached the final by defeating Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals, a match that lasted just over 90 minutes. Fils, the Barcelona Open champion and one of the ATP Tour's in-form players, acknowledged the gap: 'I played some great, great opponents, but it's still different [against Sinner]. When I'm stepping on the court against him, I feel like I play great tennis, but it's not enough.' Sinner said of his semifinal performance: 'I tried to be very aggressive, I felt very comfortable on the return. In the second set, he started to serve better, so it was more difficult. But I'm very happy about the general performance today. I'm trying to play the best possible tennis, but today was a very good day in the office.'

Zverev's struggle and Blockx's breakthrough

Alexander Zverev, the world No. 3, reached his fourth Madrid final by beating unseeded Belgian Alexander Blockx 6-2, 7-5 in the semifinals. Blockx had a dream run, defeating three top-20 players including defending champion Casper Ruud to reach his first Masters semifinal. Zverev, a two-time Madrid champion, joined Nadal and Federer as four-time finalists at the tournament. On facing Sinner again, Zverev said: 'I think tennis is very easy for him right now, the way he is playing. Maybe on Sunday I will make it a bit more difficult for him. The last eight times I didn't win much. He is the best player in the world for sure and I will try to give him a tough battle.'

From skier to world No. 1

Sinner's rise to the top of tennis has been swift. Born in San Candido, Italy, on 16 August 2001, he was a competitive skier before switching to tennis at age 13, moving to Riccardo Piatti's academy. He won the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2019 as the lowest-ranked seed, beating Alex De Minaur in the final, and was named ATP Newcomer of the Year. His first ATP title came at the Sofia Open in 2020. He gradually climbed the rankings, reaching the Wimbledon semifinals in 2023 before winning his first Grand Slam at the 2024 Australian Open, defeating Daniil Medvedev in five sets. He added the US Open later that year and now has three Grand Slam titles. He became world No. 1 in 2025.

What comes next

Sinner's next opportunity comes at the Rome Masters, the final clay-court Masters event before the French Open. Should he win in Rome, he would join Djokovic as the only men to have won all nine Masters 1000 titles, a clean sweep. Djokovic holds 40 Masters titles; Sinner now has nine. For Zverev, the defeat continues a frustrating pattern against Sinner. The pair have met in five straight Masters tournaments, with the last four coming in semifinals, and Sinner winning each in straight sets. Zverev will look to reverse that trend at Roland Garros, where the best-of-five-set format may offer a different challenge.

A new benchmark in men's tennis

Sinner's dominance in Masters 1000 events is unprecedented in the modern era. His 28-match winning streak at this level, combined with his ability to beat top opponents in under an hour, signals a shift in the sport's hierarchy. At 24, he has already achieved what took legends like Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic years longer. Yet the Italian remains grounded, focusing on each match as it comes. 'I'm trying to play the best possible tennis,' he said after his semifinal. If Sunday's final is any indication, the best may still be ahead.

The bottom line

• Jannik Sinner won the Madrid Open in 57 minutes, defeating Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2 for his fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title.
• He is the first man to win five straight Masters 1000 tournaments, with a 28-match winning streak at this level.
• Sinner became the youngest player to reach the final of all nine Masters 1000 events, surpassing Novak Djokovic.
• He has beaten Zverev in their last nine meetings, with the last five in straight sets.
• Sinner's next target is the Rome Masters, where a win would give him a clean sweep of all nine Masters titles.
• His rapid rise from a teenage skier to world No. 1 and multiple Grand Slam champion has reshaped men's tennis.