Published: 18 May 2026 | Source: Reuters, ATP Tour, Foro Italico

ROME — Jannik Sinner wins Italian Open to complete Golden Masters collection on Sunday, defeating Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 at the Foro Italico to become only the second player in ATP history — after Novak Djokovic — to win all nine Masters 1000 titles. The 24-year-old world number one captured his fifth ATP 1000 title of the year and extended his Masters winning streak to 34 matches. The victory made Sinner the first Italian men’s singles champion in Rome since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

What are the Golden Masters?

The Golden Masters is an unofficial but career-defining achievement: winning every one of the nine ATP Tour Masters 1000 tournaments at least once. The nine events — Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Canada, Cincinnati, Shanghai, and Paris — span hard courts and clay, North America, Europe, and Asia, across different seasons and conditions.

According to ATP Tour official records, Golden Masters tracker, only Novak Djokovic had completed the full set before Sinner. Roger Federer fell one title short — Monte Carlo. Rafael Nadal missed three — Miami, Paris, and Shanghai. Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and Andy Murray — none completed the set. The achievement measures surface versatility, scheduling endurance, and competitive longevity in combination.

Sinner’s ninth arrived in Rome on his seventh attempt. He lost the 2025 final to Carlos Alcaraz. This time, he walked through the door.

The complete history of the ATP Masters 1000 series and its defining champions

How Sinner Won Rome

Ruud opened with a break to lead 2-0 in the first set. The Norwegian, a two-time French Open finalist, looked comfortable on clay. Sinner broke back immediately, levelled at 4-4, then produced a sharp backhand that forced a hasty Ruud forehand over the baseline. Breakpoint converted. Sinner served out the set.

The psychological turn was subtle and devastating. Ruud had the early advantage. Sinner simply raised his level — no visible tactical adjustment, no change in demeanour — and communicated something more disheartening than any celebration: I have more. You don’t.

Sinner broke Ruud in the first game of the second set and held serve to build a 5-4 lead. Serving for the championship, he fired a forehand across the court that left Ruud rooted. The crowd at the Foro Italico — already buoyed by Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori winning the men’s doubles title earlier, the first Italian pair to do so in 66 years — erupted.

“It’s a historic day because we won the doubles and the singles,” Sinner told the crowd afterward, as reported by Reuters report, 17 May 2026. “Last year, Jasmine Paolini won the singles and doubles. We’re keeping the momentum on.”

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The Numbers Behind the Streak

Sinner’s Masters winning streak of 34 matches is an ATP record. His five Masters titles in 2026 — Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome — span three surfaces and four time zones. The consistency defies the sport’s conventional wisdom that surface specialisation is inevitable.

Ruud, speaking at the trophy ceremony, offered a defeated finalist’s summary that doubled as an accurate analysis. “What you are doing this year, it’s hard to describe with words,” he told Sinner, according to ATP Tour official press conference transcript, 17 May 2026. “Congratulations to you for making history for yourself, for your country, for your team.”

Sinner now owns three clay-court Masters 1000 titles since April. He heads to the French Open — the only major he has not yet won — as the structural favourite. The Golden Masters is complete. The career Grand Slam is the final box.