Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates beating France's Arthur Fils during their 2026 ATP Tour Madrid Open tennis tournament semi-final singles match at the Caja Magica in Madrid, on May 1, 2026. (Photo by Oscar DEL POZO / AFP via Getty Images)

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World No. 1 Jannik Sinner continues to make history

The 24-year-old Italian dominated No. 3 Alexander Zverev, 6-1, 6-2, in just 57 minutes en route to the Madrid championship on Sunday.

Sinner has won 28 straight Masters 1000 matches and improved to 30-2 on the year.

Sinner has now won the first four ATP Masters 1000 events of the year – Indian Wells, Miami Open, Monte-Carlo and Madrid -- breaking a tie with Novak Djokovic, who won the first three in 2015. Sinner has won five straight Masters 1000 events overall, plus the 2025 Year-End Championship.

He has won eight of the nine Masters 1000s in his career, and will seek to tie Djokovic’s record of nine when the Italian Open runs May 6-17 at the Foro Italico in Rome.

Sinner missed many of these events a year ago after accepting a three-month ban in February 2025 following a doping case settlement. The ban caused the then-world No. 1 to miss Indian Wells and Miami in March, along with Masters events in April. He returned in time for the Italian Open in May, but lost to Carlos Alcaraz, 7-6(5), 6-1, in the final.

“What we’re living right now the last couple of months is Jannik Sinner’s revenge tour because he was forced to miss these events that he’s been winning, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid.,” Jim Courier said on Tennis Channel. “He missed them all last year because of the suspension. He’s sweeping all of them. How do you like me now.”

Against Zverev, Sinner banged out eight aces against just one double-fault and was a perfect 4-of-4 on break chances. He won 93% of his first-serve points while also taking 19 receiving points.

“First of all Sascha, great week to you and your team," Sinner said on court. "I know it was not your best day today. But I wish you only the best for the rest of the season. Of course now Rome and Paris is coming up. I wish you only the best. Keep it up.”

“My team, thanks for pushing me. For believing in me. I know we are doing something incredible. Thank you so much for standing on my side. I know maybe a lot of Italians are watching. Thanks also for the support at home. I really feel it daily, in every practice session… coming here, it has been an amazing feeling. Obviously thanks for the support. Thanks for coming out. It means the world to me. Thank you.”

Zverev conceded there is a “big gap between Sinner and everybody else right now.”

The German then added that he thinks he’s on the same level as Djokovic, who has won 24 career majors, and Alcaraz, who has won seven. Both men hold the career Slam, while Zverev has yet to win a major.

“It’s quite simple,” Zverev said. "I think there's a big gap between Sinner and everybody else. And I think there's a big gap between Alcaraz, myself, maybe Novak, and everybody else. I think there's two gaps right now. It's difficult to say that there's not a gap between Sinner and everybody else if he hasn't lost a match in how many Masters events? Since Shanghai. He hasn't lost a match in almost 9 months. I think you have to admit that there's a gap between him aneverybody else.”

With Alcaraz (wrist) and Jack Draper (knee) out until at least the grasscourt season, Sinner will be a heavy favorite to win in Rome and Paris to extend his dominant run.

“It certainly would be difficult to bet against him at this point,” Courier said.

Sinner will be seeking to win the career Grand Slam in Paris, an elite club that Alcaraz already joined at the Australian Open.

“There’s a lot riding on that,” Courier said. “He seems like emotionally he’s impenetrable but maybe that might add a little bit of intrigue to it. I don’t know, but that’s a big story no matter what. Even if he’s rolling, that’s a big story for sports fans to follow because it doesn’t happen that often.”