ATP Tour

Sinner survives Medvedev test & late-night suspension to reach Rome final

Jannik Sinner dug deep under immense pressure on Friday before he returned on Saturday following a late-night rain suspension to eventually fight past Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome and preserve his pursuit of the Career Golden Masters.

After a dominant first set, the World No. 1 was dragged into a far more gruelling and physical contest, while Medvedev gradually imposed himself and forced the Italian into extended defensive exchanges. When the 30-year-old levelled the match, Sinner appeared under severe pressure, but he responded with grit and composure to lead 4-2 before play was suspended for the night due to rain.

Returning to court 18 hours later on Saturday afternoon, the Italian held to love and then had two match points on Medvedev's serve. Sinner was unable to finish the job on the 30-year-old's delivery but held his nerve on serve again to push himself over the line and secure his return to the ATP Masters 1000 final. Sinner was on court for just 15 minutes on Saturday

"It was a very different challenge and a tough challenge," Sinner said. "Usually, during the night, I don't struggle to sleep but this time it was not easy. You are in the third set, nearly done but you still have to show up again and you never know what is happening. It is like the start of the match as there are nerves again. I am very happy with how I handled this situation and that I back in the final."

By reaching the Rome championship match for a second consecutive year — following defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2025 final — Sinner now stands one win away from completing the Career Golden Masters. If he defeats Casper Ruud in Sunday’s title showdown, the 24-year-old would become only the second man alongside Novak Djokovic to capture all nine Masters 1000 titles.

With this determined semi-final win, Sinner extended his record Masters 1000 winning streak to 33 matches, having already moved beyond Djokovic’s previous benchmark of 31 after defeating Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals. The Italian also became just the second player after Rafael Nadal in 2011 to reach the final of the season’s first five Masters 1000 tournaments, having already lifted trophies in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and Madrid.

After a commanding opening set — where Sinner won 92 per cent (11/12) first-serve points according to Infosys ATP Stats — the contest shifted, and Medvedev absorbed pressure more effectively to push the Italian deeper behind the baseline, using variation and court positioning to create a far more physically demanding duel.

Sinner, at times bent over and visibly drained between rallies, found himself briefly undone when Medvedev struck a clean backhand winner to level the match, a moment that brought a stunned hush over Campo Centrale. Yet the setback proved temporary rather than terminal.

Reinvigorated in the decider, Sinner carved out a vital break for 2-1 and reacted with a thunderous roar, a release of tension that underlined the significance of the moment and swung control firmly back in his favour.

However, heavy rain in the Italian capital late on Friday night forced play to be suspended at 9:45 p.m. CEST. The Top 10 stars were unable to return to court that evening. But when play eventually resumed on Saturday, Sinner clinically reeled off the two games he needed to earn a two-hour, 37-minute win.

Sinner now leads Medvedev 10-7 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, having won 10 of their past 11 meetings.

Having reached his 10th ATP Masters 1000 semi-final — and second of 2026 after Indian Wells — Medvedev leaves Rome up one place to No. 8 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. More significantly, the 30-year-old sits fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and appears firmly on course for a return to the Nitto ATP Finals after missing qualification in 2025 for the first time since 2018.

Did you know?
Sinner is the first Italian man in the Open Era to reach back-to-back Rome finals. If he defeats Casper Ruud on Sunday, the 24-year-old would also become the first home champion in the Italian capital since Adriano Panatta lifted the trophy at the Foro Italico in 1976.