Jannik Sinner is the Italian Open champion, and the weight of what that means took a moment to land even for him. Beating Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 in the final to claim the one Masters 1000 title that had eluded him, on home soil, in front of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, produced one of the more endearing moments of his career. Yet despite breaking numerous records, Sinner found himself in an awkward position.

“Mr. President, Mr. Mattarella, I’m always very emotional when I meet Mr. Mattarella. I always put myself in awkward situations!” Sinner said, laughing, during the trophy ceremony. He also addressed the crowd with a nod to the last Italian man to win this title. 

“Adriano, after 50 years, we brought a very important trophy home. I can’t say I watched you win it, obviously, because I was too young. I don’t think my parents even were together at the time!” he said, referring to Adriano Panatta, who won the title in 1976.

On Sunday afternoon, Sinner shattered records at the Foro Italico. Sinner is the only second player in history to win all nine of the ATP Masters 1000 events he played, and he did so in 62 fewer main draw appearances than Novak Djokovic. He achieved it at 24, seven years younger than Djokovic was when he completed his own Golden Masters. He also became the first player in history to win the first five Masters events of a single season, going one short of Djokovic’s six in an entire calendar year of 2015. Only Djokovic has won more Masters titles in a single calendar year than Sinner’s five this year.

The numbers on the clay court are even more incredible. Sinner is the second player to capture all three Masters 1000 events on clay in one season since the format was introduced in 1990, trailing only Rafael Nadal, who won all three Masters 1000 events in 2010. He is also the first Italian man to win the Rome title since Panatta half a century ago, only the sixth Italian in tennis history to claim the men’s singles title at the Internazionali d’Italia, and the second in the Open Era. Since losing to Jakub Mensik in Doha three months ago, Sinner has not dropped a match.

Sinner has now gone ahead of Carlos Alcaraz, with 16 Big Titles to his name, including Grand Slams, ATP Finals, Masters 1000 events, and Olympics. The start of the Roland Garros is on May 24. He comes in as the defending finalist, the form player of the season, and the holder of all the records to behold on clay. The next question is, how far does this run go?

Sinner rewrites history, with Roland Garros now in his sights

Jannik Sinner acknowledged the gravitas of the moment at the trophy ceremony, as it was not just a big moment for him but a huge moment for the entire nation. “I think this year was the 50th year since an Italian won and I am really, really happy,” he said. The crowd roared. It was a very rare moment from a player who keeps his emotions in check, but today he let his guard down in public, and it landed perfectly in front of a home crowd that had waited 50 years for this moment.

He also gave a shout-out to his physical team, who have been helping him survive this enormous stretch of consecutive matches, which included vomiting on the court and a rain-deferred semifinal played over two days. “I give big thanks to my physical team I have all year long, trying to keep up my body, which is as important as the tennis coaches,” Sinner added.

Casper Ruud, generous in defeat, perhaps captured the occasion best. “What you are doing this year is hard to describe with words. As someone who is also playing tennis at the highest level, to realize what you are doing is hard to describe. It is an honor to watch you play and to be able to share the court with you today in a beautiful arena at your home Masters 1000,” he said from the podium.

What took Djokovic more than a decade to achieve, Sinner completed in 33 months, less than three years after lifting his first Masters 1000 trophy in Toronto in 2023 – winning all nine Masters 1000 events. The stage for what comes next has never been more clearly set.

Roland Garros begins on May 24, and it is the only Grand Slam title missing from Sinner’s collection. A win in Paris would complete his Career Golden Slam, one of the coveted achievements in the sport. It’s hard not to notice the importance of the timing. The arch-rival to Italian, Carlos Alcaraz, completed his own Career Golden Slam at the Australian Open in January. For Sinner, who has spent the last three years fighting and chasing the Grand Slams at every turn with him, Paris represents his moment to replicate that milestone, too. 

This is the perfect opportunity for Sinner, as the draw has opened up with the defending champion missing out due to a wrist injury. Alcaraz defeated the world No. 1 last year in the finals in a historic fashion. The one player who has beaten Sinner at a Grand Slam in the past 18 months is going to be absent from the event. The form, the records, the fitness, and the occasion all converge in Paris.