ATP Tour

Sinner joins Nadal with Rome QF win, moves closer to history

Can anyone stop Jannik Sinner’s historic title charge at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia?

The World No. 1 moved within two wins of a maiden Rome crown on Thursday, when he overpowered Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 to return to the semi-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 event. Last year’s finalist, Sinner produced a commanding all-court performance, blending relentless baseline precision with attacking intent to thrill the home fans in the Italian capital.

With his one-hour, 32-minute victory, Sinner joined Rafael Nadal (2010, 2011) as the only men to reach the semi-finals at the first five Masters 1000 events of a season. Having already captured titles in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo and Madrid this year, the Italian continues to carve out a remarkable campaign. Should he lift the trophy in Rome, he would also join Novak Djokovic as the only men to complete the Career Golden Masters.

"He's a very dangerous player," Sinner said of Rublev. "When he plays at his highest level, he's very tough to beat. I felt like we both didn't play at our best today, but the conditions are very tough here. So, I tried to adapt myself in the best possible way. I'm obviously very happy. It's a very special tournament for me."

Sinner came up short against rival Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s Rome final, but he appears well-positioned to go one step further in 2026. Riding a 27-match winning streak, the top seed will next face former champion Daniil Medvedev for a place in the championship match.

Rublev made the early exchanges competitive and produced flashes of creativity to test the Italian in the opening set, but Sinner delivered when it mattered most. Although the Italian let slip a 4-1 lead in the second set and dropped serve for the first time this fortnight, he ultimately crossed the line and improved to 8-3 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Rublev.

With his 32nd consecutive Masters 1000 victory, Sinner surpassed Djokovic’s previous record of 31 set in 2011. The 24-year-old now stands just two wins from winning a record-extending sixth straight Masters 1000 title, having triumphed in Paris last season before sweeping every event at this level in 2026.

"I don't play for records," Sinner said. "I play for my own story. At the same time, it means a lot for me. But tomorrow is another day, a different opponent, different conditions... Emotionally, it takes a lot playing here at home. But at the same time, I definitely try to do my best. It was a good day today."

Beyond pursuing the Career Golden Masters, Sinner is also aiming to end Italy’s five-decade wait for a men’s singles champion in Rome. Adriano Panatta, who lifted the title in 1976, remains the last home player to triumph in the Italian capital.

After a semi-final defeat to Djokovic at the Australian Open and a quarter-final exit against Jakub Mensik in Doha, Sinner has launched an emphatic run of dominance in 2026. Since beginning his streak in Indian Wells in March, he has dropped just two sets across 27 consecutive victories, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.