Jannik Sinner reaches Madrid final, eyes historic fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title

Key facts

• Sinner has won 22 consecutive matches, including titles at Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo this season.
• He reached his first Madrid Open final by defeating Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals.
• Sinner is the fourth player and youngest to reach all nine Masters 1000 finals, joining Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer.
• He has now made the semifinals of all nine Masters 1000 events, a mark previously reached only by Nadal (2009), Djokovic (2009), Federer (2010), Murray (2015), and Zverev (2026).
• Sinner is the first player born in the 2000s to record 350 tour-level wins.
• He will face Alexander Zverev in the final; Zverev has lost four consecutive semifinal meetings to Sinner in straight sets.
• Sinner has won three Grand Slam titles, including the 2024 Australian Open and US Open.
• He switched from competitive skiing to tennis at age 13, training at Riccardo Piatti's academy.

Sinner’s relentless march continues in Madrid

Jannik Sinner, the world number one, has extended his winning streak to 22 matches after reaching the Madrid Open final with a straight-sets victory over Arthur Fils. The Italian, who has already won the first three ATP Masters 1000 events of the season in Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo, is now one win away from a record fifth consecutive title at that level. If he defeats second seed Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final, Sinner would surpass Novak Djokovic, who won four consecutive Masters events on three occasions, and Rafael Nadal, who achieved the same in 2013. No player has ever won five in a row.

A semifinal breakthrough in the Spanish capital

Sinner’s path to the final began with a 6-2, 7-6(0) quarterfinal win over Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar, securing his first trip to the semifinals in Madrid. Before this week, he had never advanced past the quarterfinals at this tournament. In the semifinal against Fils, Sinner broke twice to take the first set 6-2. Fils, who won the Barcelona Open two weeks ago, led 3-2 in the second set and saved two break points, but Sinner broke to go 5-4 ahead and served out the match.

Milestone after milestone for the Italian star

With his semifinal appearance, Sinner became the first player born in the 2000s to record 350 tour-level wins. He also joined an elite group of players—Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer—as the fourth and youngest to reach the final of all nine Masters 1000 tournaments. Sinner has now reached the semifinals of every Masters 1000 event, a feat only five others have accomplished: Nadal (2009), Djokovic (2009), Federer (2010), Murray (2015), and Zverev (2026). His rival Carlos Alcaraz, who has won Madrid twice, has yet to reach the semifinals in Canada, Shanghai, and Paris.

Zverev awaits in a familiar matchup

Alexander Zverev, the world number three, reached his fourth Madrid final by defeating unseeded Belgian Alexander Blockx 6-2, 7-5. Zverev, a two-time champion in Madrid (2018 and 2021), raced through the first set but needed to break in the 11th game of the second to close out the match. This will be the fifth consecutive Masters 1000 event where Sinner and Zverev meet, with Sinner winning all four previous semifinal encounters in straight sets. Zverev, however, has a strong record in Madrid finals.

From skiing prodigy to tennis dominance

Sinner’s rise to the top of tennis began in the mountains of South Tyrol. Born in San Candido, Italy, on August 16, 2001, he was a competitive skier before switching to tennis at age 13. He moved to Riccardo Piatti’s academy to develop his game. He won the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2019 as the lowest-ranked seed, beating Frances Tiafoe, Mikael Ymer, Miomir Kecmanovic, and Alex De Minaur. That year he was named ATP Newcomer of the Year. His first ATP title came at the Sofia Open in 2020, and he broke into the top 40 soon after.

Grand Slam glory and a historic season

Sinner won his first Grand Slam at the 2024 Australian Open, defeating Daniil Medvedev in a five-set final. He added the US Open title later that year, finishing 2024 with two major trophies. He now has three Grand Slam titles in total. His consistency has elevated him to world number one and made him a dominant force. With Madrid and Rome the only Masters 1000 titles missing from his collection, he could complete the set before Roland Garros. Only Djokovic has won all nine Masters events.

What’s at stake on Sunday

A win against Zverev would give Sinner a record fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title and make him the third man to reach the final of the first four Masters events of a season, after Federer (2006) and Nadal (2011). It would also extend his winning streak to 23 matches. For Zverev, a victory would end a streak of four straight semifinal losses to Sinner and add a third Madrid title to his resume. The match promises to be a clash of two of the tour’s most in-form players, with Sinner’s relentless baseline game against Zverev’s powerful serve and forehand.

The bottom line

• Jannik Sinner has won 22 consecutive matches and is one win from a record fifth straight Masters 1000 title.
• He has reached the semifinals of all nine Masters 1000 events, a feat only five others have achieved.
• Sinner is the youngest player to reach all nine Masters 1000 finals, joining Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer.
• He has three Grand Slam titles, including the 2024 Australian Open and US Open.
• Sinner switched from skiing to tennis at age 13 and rose rapidly through the ranks.
• He faces Alexander Zverev in the Madrid final, having beaten him in four consecutive Masters semifinals.