Italian Tennis Breaks a 50-Year Drought

ROME — After half a century, Italian tennis fans are finally celebrating a significant moment.

For Jannik Sinner, it was about more than just being the first Italian man to claim the Italian Open title since Adriano Panatta took it home 50 years back.

Sinner sealed his victory with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final at the Foro Italico. This victory made him only the second player, after Novak Djokovic, to win all nine Masters 1000 tournaments, which are among the most prestigious events outside the Grand Slams.

Djokovic, who ended his career in Cincinnati at 31 back in 2018, has since won every tournament at least twice. Now, at 24 years old, Sinner faces minimal competition, especially with his primary rival, Carlos Alcaraz, currently out due to a wrist injury. So, it feels like he’s on a streak no one can stop.

“Welcome to the exclusive club, Yannick,” Djokovic remarked on Instagram.

Sinner’s winning streak now stands at 29 matches. Remarkably, he hasn’t faced defeat since that quarterfinal loss to Jakub Mensik at the Qatar Open on February 19. As he heads into the French Open next Sunday, he boasts a flawless 17-0 record on clay this year.

“It’s unbelievable. Fifty years without an Italian winning, and now we have this,” Sinner reflected. “I’m thrilled to be a part of this extraordinary era for Italian tennis.”

Sinner, as is typical for him, celebrated modestly. He smiled broadly, raising his hands in relief when he placed an inside-out forehand just past the line for his championship point. He acknowledged the crowd, including Panatta, who was in attendance.

“Adriano, we’ve finally brought back an important trophy after 50 years,” Sinner said to Panatta, who was there for the award ceremony.

Interestingly, the only Grand Slam that has eluded Sinner so far is Roland Garros. He has already claimed the Australian Open twice and has won Wimbledon and the US Open once.