Sinner Battles Through Three Sets in Madrid: ‘I Faced Significant Challenges’
World No. 1 set to take on Moller next
April 24, 2026
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Jannik Sinner makes his debut as the World No. 1 at a 2026 tournament.
By Sam Jacot
At the Mutua Madrid Open on Friday, Jannik Sinner extended his extraordinary winning streak to 23 matches at ATP Masters 1000 events, overcoming a sluggish start to defeat Benjamin Bonzi with a scoreline of 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4 in his first match.
The top-seeded player aims to create history by becoming the first athlete in the series’ history (since 1990) to capture five consecutive Masters 1000 titles, although he faced a tenacious Bonzi on the iconic Manolo Santana Stadium.
After dropping the opening set, Sinner shook off early physical struggles and improved his record to an impressive 36-0 in first-round matches since his loss to Dusan Lajovic at Cincinnati in 2023. Notably, he has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals in Madrid and will next meet Danish qualifier Elmer Moller.
“I faced significant challenges, but I expected that going into the match, as the court and conditions are quite unique,” Sinner reflected during his on-court interview. “Each day brings new opportunities, so I’m hoping to make slight improvements for the next round. Staying mentally composed helped me secure today’s victory. I have some time tomorrow that I intend to use positively.”
Since departing during his third-round match in Shanghai last October, the 24-year-old has claimed titles in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte-Carlo. Impressively, he didn’t lose a set in the three hard-court tournaments, with Tomas Machac finally halting his record-setting 37-match winning streak in the third round of Monte-Carlo.
Earlier this month, Sinner triumphed over Carlos Alcaraz in the final at Monte-Carlo, and he is now competing as the top-ranked player in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time this year. He is projected to remain at the top for the coming weeks, following Alcaraz’s announcement of his withdrawal from Roland Garros and Rome due to a wrist injury.
In a thrilling opening set, Bonzi showcased phenomenal tennis, executing aggressive shots and sending a flurry of winners past the World No. 1. Sinner fought valiantly to set point in the first-set tiebreak but ultimately couldn’t convert, with Bonzi scoring three straight points from 5/6 to take the lead.
Feeling sluggish at the start of the second set, Sinner found himself often gasping for breath after intense rallies. However, a pivotal double fault from Bonzi gifted Sinner a break at 3-1, igniting his comeback. He quickly leveled the match and eventually managed to pull through in the deciding set against Bonzi, who took a medical timeout due to shoulder issues at the end of the second set.
