Jannik Sinner delivered a masterclass at the Caja Magica on Sunday, dismantling Alexander Zverev 6-1 6-2 in under an hour to claim the Madrid Open title.
The Italian world number one required merely 58 minutes to dispatch the second seed, establishing himself as the first player in history to capture five successive Masters 1000 trophies.
Sinner also became the inaugural player since the series began in 1990 to secure the opening four Masters 1000 titles of a single season.
The 24-year-old stormed to a 5-0 advantage within 17 minutes, breaking the German twice at the outset.
Jannik Sinner proved too strong for Alexander Zverev in the Madrid Open final
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REUTERS
Conceding just three games throughout, this represented Sinner’s most emphatic triumph of the fortnight.
The victory extended Sinner’s extraordinary dominance over the former Olympic champion, whom he has now defeated in all five of his consecutive Masters 1000 triumphs.
The pair clashed in the Paris Masters semi-finals last autumn, before meeting again at the same stage in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo earlier this year.
Remarkably, Sinner avoided dropping a single set across any of those encounters.
Since October, the world number one has faced Zverev on seven occasions, surrendering just one set throughout.
That solitary set came during the Vienna Open final, where Sinner recovered from a set down to prevail 3-6 6-3 7-5.
Jannik Sinner has made history after his Madrid Open win
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REUTERS
The two-time Madrid champion proved powerless against Sinner’s relentless precision.
This triumph elevated Sinner to 15 ‘Big Titles’, drawing level with Carlos Alcaraz in their ongoing rivalry for supremacy.
The Italian now possesses nine Masters 1000 crowns, surpassing Alcaraz’s tally of eight at that level.
With Alcaraz sidelined through injury for both Rome and Roland Garros, Sinner has a clear path to extend his advantage in the coming weeks.
The world number one could achieve another historic milestone at his next tournament, potentially becoming only the second man after Novak Djokovic to complete the Career Golden Masters.
His finest result in Rome came last year when he reached the final.
Sinner’s efficiency is remarkable, winning a Big Title for every 4.6 tournaments entered throughout his career.
