ROME — After waiting for a remarkable 50 years, Italian tennis aficionados finally celebrated a monumental moment.
But for Jannik Sinner, it was more than just claiming the title of the first Italian man to win the Italian Open since Adriano Panatta half a century ago.
Sinner’s triumphant 6-4, 6-4 victory over Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final at the iconic Foro Italico not only marked a historic win but also made him the second man ever—following Novak Djokovic—to capture all nine Masters 1000 events, the premier tournaments outside the Grand Slams.
Djokovic achieved this remarkable feat in 2018 at Cincinnati, at the age of 31, and subsequently went on to secure each event multiple times. Sinner, at just 24, finds himself in an outstanding position, especially with his closest competitor, Carlos Alcaraz, currently sidelined due to a wrist injury.
With this victory, Sinner has extended his winning streak to an impressive 29 matches. His last defeat came from Jakub Mensik in the Qatar Open quarterfinals on February 19. He now stands undefeated on clay this year at 17-0, just ahead of the upcoming French Open.
“Incredible,” Sinner expressed. “It’s been 50 years since an Italian last won. I’m thrilled to contribute to this exceptional era for Italian tennis.”
Sinner celebrated in his usual composed manner, showcasing a broad smile when he landed a decisive inside-out forehand on his first championship point. He raised his hands in relief and waved to the crowd, which featured 1976 champion Panatta sitting prominently in the front row.
“Adriano, after 50 years, we’ve reclaimed a vital trophy,” Sinner said to Panatta during the trophy presentation.
Sinner has now secured titles in every Grand Slam except for Roland Garros; he holds two Australian Open titles and has lifted the trophies for Wimbledon and the U.S. Open once each.
This landmark victory—attended by Italian President Sergio Mattarella—followed Sinner’s loss in last year’s Rome final to Alcaraz, as he returned from a three-month doping ban. The previous year marked another significant moment for Italy, as Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian woman to win the Rome singles title in 40 years while also claiming the doubles trophy alongside Sara Errani.
Many of Sinner’s supporters, dressed in orange to match his curly hair, filled the 10,500-seat Campo Centrale, creating a vibrant soccer-like atmosphere with chants and cheers for Italy’s rising star.
As the action intensified, the crowd erupted in a spirited cheer of “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole; Sin-ner, Sin-ner.”
Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian tennis federation, remarked that even a larger center court—capable of holding 25,000 spectators, surpassing the U.S. Open’s Arthur Ashe Stadium—would surely be filled.
Sinner showcased his resilience, overcoming fatigue to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals of a rain-interrupted match that spanned two days. However, against the 25th-ranked Ruud, there were no signs of exhaustion.
Ruud, a prominent clay-court competitor with two previous Roland Garros finals, squandered an early break and a 2-0 lead at the onset of the first set against Sinner. The Italian swiftly broke back and secured another pivotal break at the end of the set, executing three key drop shots—two of which were so well-placed that Ruud didn’t even attempt to chase them.
A powerful backhand winner along the line enabled Sinner to achieve another break in the opening game of the second set.
With this victory, Sinner improved to a flawless 5-0 record against Ruud.
“What you’re accomplishing this year is hard to put into words,” Ruud commended Sinner during the trophy ceremony. “It’s truly an honor to witness your play… Congratulations on making history.”
This day turned out to be especially significant for Italy, marked by Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori becoming the first Italian duo to win the men’s doubles title in Rome since 1960.
Bolelli and Vavassori triumphed over Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos with a score of 7-6 (8), 6-7 (3), 10-3.
Both the singles and doubles finals gathered a bustling crowd, who watched the excitement unfold on a jumbo screen at the statue-adorned Pietrangeli court adjacent to Campo Centrale.
On Saturday, Elina Svitolina claimed victory over Coco Gauff in the women’s singles title match.
