Jannik Sinner has stormed through the Italian Open, surrendering only nine games across his opening two matches before facing Andrea Pellegrino. With history now within touching distance, Sinner is chasing the chance to become the first Italian man since Adriano Panatta in 1976 to lift the Rome crown. Yet amid the deafening expectations of a nation, Sinner has calmly insisted he will still leave Rome with positives, whether the trophy ultimately belongs to him or not.

“It’s a tournament I haven’t won, it’s a very prestigious tournament being Italian, and I’m extremely happy to play here. I just try to do my best at the same time,” Jannik Sinner told Tennis Channel while speaking about the importance of the Italian Open. 

Despite the enormous expectations surrounding him, Sinner surprisingly sounded calm about the possible outcomes in Rome. “In any case, for me it’s a win-win situation at the moment, if I go on it’s great. If I lose, it’s also great because I have a little bit more time to recover for Roland-Garros, so I’m a little bit more relaxed.”

His comments immediately stood out because scheduling concerns have become one of the biggest discussions in tennis over the last two seasons. Many top players have repeatedly complained about the physical toll created by the packed calendar.

One of the most vocal names has been Carlos Alcaraz, who openly criticized the nonstop nature of the schedule in previous months. However, Sinner did not completely agree with those complaints when he was previously asked about the issue.

“The schedule is quite long, obviously, these years. But we players, we can still choose what to play and what not to play. Obviously, we have some mandatory events,” Sinner said while discussing the debate around tournament scheduling. 

At the same time, Sinner’s focus on recovery ahead of the French Open also feels understandable considering what happened to him there last year. The Italian came agonizingly close to lifting the Roland Garros trophy after a brutal five-hour and 29-minute battle.

Despite holding a strong advantage and leading with three game points during critical stages of the match, Sinner ultimately watched the title slip away. The heartbreaking defeat became one of the most painful moments of his career and left lasting memories heading into this clay-court season.

This year’s situation around the clay season has also shifted dramatically in Sinner’s favor. Alcaraz skipped the Rome event entirely, while Novak Djokovic, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Ben Shelton, and Alex de Minaur all suffered surprisingly early exits.

Most importantly, Alcaraz has also withdrawn from defending his title at Roland Garros because of injury concerns. That decision has suddenly opened a potentially smoother path for Sinner to finally capture the French Open crown this season.

Before turning attention fully toward Paris, however, Sinner still has unfinished business in Rome. Although he has consistently been one of the world’s best players, the Italian Open remains the only Masters tournament he has never won.

Sinner came extremely close to changing that in 2025 when he reached the Rome final. However, he was completely outplayed by Alcaraz, who defeated him in straight sets to deny the Italian his dream home title.

Before that breakthrough run to the final, Sinner’s record in Rome had been surprisingly inconsistent. Across his first five appearances before 2025, his best result was a quarterfinal appearance in 2022, where Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated him in straight sets before later losing to Djokovic in the final.

The Italian also suffered four early exits at his home Masters event, including two second-round defeats, one third-round exit, and another loss in the fourth round. Prior to the 2026 edition, Sinner had won only 70% of his matches in Rome, statistically making it his joint-worst Masters 1000 event alongside the Canadian Open, which he still managed to win in 2023.

Now, though, the atmosphere around Sinner feels completely different. With a quarterfinal place already secured and several major rivals gone, destiny suddenly appears closer than ever to finally delivering the Italian the one Masters title that has always escaped him in Rome.

Jannik Sinner equals Novak Djokovic’s Masters streak after defeating Andrea Pellegrino

Jannik Sinner continued his remarkable dominance on Tuesday by tying Novak Djokovic for the longest winning streak in ATP Masters 1000 history. The Italian secured his 31st consecutive victory at this level after reaching the QF of the Italian Open.

The world No. 1 once again looked unstoppable in front of his home crowd in Rome. Sinner comfortably defeated fellow Italian qualifier Andrea Pellegrino 6-2, 6-3 to continue his incredible run.

The victory keeps Sinner firmly on course for another piece of history. He is attempting to join Djokovic as only the second player ever to complete the Career Golden Masters by winning all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments since the format began in 1990.

Over the last six months, Sinner has looked nearly unbeatable on the ATP Tour. Just last week in the Madrid Open, he became the first player ever to win five consecutive Masters 1000 titles after adding Madrid to his previous triumphs in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte-Carlo.

The last time Sinner lost a Masters 1000 match came back in October during the Shanghai Masters. On that occasion, he retired during his third-round clash against Tallon Griekspoor.

Now, with Andrey Rublev standing between him and a semifinal place, the opportunity in front of Sinner feels massive. With confidence soaring and history within touching distance, the Italian now looks closer than ever to finally capturing the Rome crown on home soil.