World No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy made history by becoming the first player on the ATP Tour to win five consecutive Masters 1000 titles.
Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev of Germany, ranked third, 2-0 (6-1, 6-2) in 57 minutes in the men's singles final of the Madrid Open (total prize money of 8.235 million euros) held in Madrid, Spain on Saturday.
Extending his winning streak to 23 matches, Sinner captured his fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title at the Madrid event, following the Paris Masters last November and Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo earlier this season. The achievement surpasses the record of four consecutive titles shared by Novak Djokovic, ranked fourth, of Serbia and the retired Rafael Nadal of Spain. The ATP Masters 1000 series is the highest-ranked tour below the majors, with nine tournaments held annually and 1,000 ATP ranking points at stake.
With his commanding performance, Sinner claimed the winner's prize of 1.007 million euros (approximately 1.74 billion won). After seizing the initiative with an opening service ace, he wrapped up the first set 6-1 in just 25 minutes and coasted through the second set without any significant threats. Sinner converted all four of his break point opportunities while not allowing Zverev a single break point. "There's a big gap between Sinner and the other players," Zverev said, acknowledging the skill difference, before joking, "I hope he takes a break sometimes so that normal players like us get a chance too." Zverev has now lost nine consecutive matches against Sinner.
Born in 2001, Sinner would complete the Career Golden Masters—a feat achieved only by Djokovic—by winning all nine Masters 1000 events if he captures the upcoming Rome Open. He will also aim for a Career Grand Slam, becoming only the 10th player in history to win all four majors, at the French Open next month. "Someday my results might drop, and that's normal. I'm very happy that I've continued to believe in myself. Every day, in every training session, I try to maintain discipline," Sinner said after his victory.
