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Jannik Sinner is just two wins away from becoming the first Italian man to claim the Italian Open title in 50 years. The top-ranked player advanced to the semifinals on Thursday in Rome with a 6-2, 6-4 win over No. 14 Andrey Rublev. With this victory, Sinner set a new record of 32 consecutive wins in Masters 1000 events, surpassing Novak Djokovic’s previous mark.
“I don’t play for records. I play just for my own story. And obviously at the same time it means a lot to me,” Sinner said.
The last Italian to win the singles trophy at the Foro Italico was Adriano Panatta in 1976. Panatta is scheduled to present this year’s champion with the trophy on Sunday, an event also expected to be attended by Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella.
“It’s a special tournament for me,” Sinner added.
Sinner’s next opponent will be Daniil Medvedev, the 2023 Rome champion. Medvedev came back from a set down to beat Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce 1-6, 6-4, 7-5. The other semifinal will feature Norway’s Casper Ruud against Argentine-born Italian Luciano Darderi.
The atmosphere inside the 10,500-seat Campo Centrale was electric, with many fans donning Sinner’s signature orange hats and T-shirts. One group held a sign saying, “Sinner, Facce Sogna” — which means “Sinner, Make us dream.”
Sinner lost last year’s final in Rome to Carlos Alcaraz, who is currently sidelined with a right wrist injury. Meanwhile, Jasmine Paolini made history in 2025 by becoming the first Italian woman in 40 years to win the tournament.
Sinner got off to a strong start by breaking Rublev’s serve in the opening game—a feat he’s now achieved in three consecutive matches. Throughout the match, he consistently landed shots right on the lines. Rublev, once ranked as high as No. 5, acknowledged the challenge.
“There were many points where he played really well or close to the line or in a line. But he’s No. 1 and it’s normal. You need to force him to miss and it takes a lot of focus to be able to play at that level,” Rublev said.
Sinner’s only brief stumble came late in the second set when Rublev broke his serve.
“It was a bit breezy, a bit windy, so it was very tough conditions,” Sinner said. “I felt we both didn’t play at our best today.”
He admitted feeling fatigued toward the end but remains confident.
“I’m going to be all right. It’s normal that one day in the tournament you are slightly tired. It has been very long days for me,” he said.
Since retiring due to cramps in extreme heat against Tallon Griekspoor in Shanghai last October, Sinner has not lost a Masters match. Djokovic’s previous record stood at 31 consecutive wins in 2011. Including all tournaments, Sinner’s current winning streak reaches 27 matches. His last overall loss came to Jakub Mensik in the Qatar Open quarterfinals on February 19. Remarkably, he hasn’t dropped a set since his opening match in the Madrid Open.
Sinner is also aiming to join Djokovic as only the second man to win all nine Masters events. The Italian Open is the only Masters title he has yet to claim.
On the women’s side, Coco Gauff reached the final for the second consecutive year by defeating 36-year-old Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3. Gauff had to save a match point in a three-set win over Iva Jovic and then came back from a set down to beat Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals.
Against Cirstea, Gauff delivered 78 percent of her first serves and committed just one double fault.
“I’m just happy to be through in straight sets today. It’s been a marathon week,” Gauff said.
Gauff was runner-up to Jasmine Paolini in the 2025 Rome final before going on to win the French Open.
In Saturday’s final, Gauff will face either three-time Rome champion Iga Swiatek or two-time winner Elina Svitolina, who were set to play later on Thursday.