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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
The last Italian to win the singles trophy at the Foro Italico was Adriano Panatta in 1976. Panatta is scheduled to present this year\u2019s champion with the trophy on Sunday, an event also expected to be attended by Italy\u2019s President Sergio Mattarella.<\/p>\n
“It’s a special tournament for me,” Sinner added.<\/p>\n
Sinner\u2019s 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\u2019s Casper Ruud against Argentine-born Italian Luciano Darderi.<\/p>\n
The atmosphere inside the 10,500-seat Campo Centrale was electric, with many fans donning Sinner\u2019s signature orange hats and T-shirts. One group held a sign saying, \u201cSinner, Facce Sogna\u201d \u2014 which means \u201cSinner, Make us dream.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sinner lost last year\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Sinner got off to a strong start by breaking Rublev\u2019s serve in the opening game\u2014a feat he\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were many points where he played really well or close to the line or in a line. But he\u2019s No. 1 and it\u2019s normal. You need to force him to miss and it takes a lot of focus to be able to play at that level,\u201d Rublev said.<\/p>\n
Sinner\u2019s only brief stumble came late in the second set when Rublev broke his serve.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a bit breezy, a bit windy, so it was very tough conditions,\u201d Sinner said. \u201cI felt we both didn\u2019t play at our best today.\u201d<\/p>\n
He admitted feeling fatigued toward the end but remains confident.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to be all right. It\u2019s normal that one day in the tournament you are slightly tired. It has been very long days for me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Since retiring due to cramps in extreme heat against Tallon Griekspoor in Shanghai last October, Sinner has not lost a Masters match. Djokovic\u2019s previous record stood at 31 consecutive wins in 2011. Including all tournaments, Sinner\u2019s 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\u2019t dropped a set since his opening match in the Madrid Open.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
On the women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Against Cirstea, Gauff delivered 78 percent of her first serves and committed just one double fault.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just happy to be through in straight sets today. It\u2019s been a marathon week,\u201d Gauff said.<\/p>\n
Gauff was runner-up to Jasmine Paolini in the 2025 Rome final before going on to win the French Open.<\/p>\n
In Saturday\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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