Jannik Sinner completes Career Golden Masters with win over Casper Ruud in Rome; becomes second player to script history

Jannik Sinner etched his name into tennis history on Sunday (May 17), by winning the Internazionali BNL d'Italia title in Rome. The 24-year-old World No 1 defeated Norway’s Casper Ruud in the final to complete the Career Golden Masters, becoming just the second player ever to lift trophies at all nine ATP Masters 1000 events.

This landmark victory at the Foro Italico caps an astonishing run for the Italian star. He now joins Novak Djokovic as the only men to achieve the rare feat since the Masters 1000 series started in 1990. What makes Sinner’s accomplishment even more remarkable is his age, he has done it seven years younger than Djokovic did.

Rapid Rise from first Masters title to full set

Jannik Sinner’s Masters 1000 journey began in Toronto back in 2023. As a fresh-faced 21-year-old, he beat Alex de Minaur in straight sets for his maiden title. That win followed two final losses in Miami and came after fellow Italian Fabio Fognini’s 2019 success in Monte-Carlo.

The Toronto breakthrough opened the floodgates. In 2024, Sinner exploded onto the scene, claiming hard-court crowns in Miami, Cincinnati, and Shanghai. He did not drop a single set in any of those finals. The Shanghai title even came against Djokovic himself, the same year Sinner first reached No 1 in the ATP Rankings and secured year-end honours.

By October 2024, Sinner had four Masters 1000 titles. But the past six months turned his career into pure dominance. He swept Paris, Indian Wells, and Miami without losing a set, completing his collection of hard-court Masters events at Indian Wells.

Clay-court sweep seals Golden Masters dream

Entering the 2026 clay season, three titles were still missing: Monte-Carlo, Madrid, and Rome. Jannik Sinner wasted no time. outclassed rival Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte-Carlo final, then beat Alexander Zverev in straight sets in Madrid. That Madrid win gave him five straight Masters 1000 trophies.

On home soil in Rome, the pressure was on, but Sinner delivered. He became the first Italian men’s champion at the tournament since Adriano Panatta in 1976. The crowd at the Foro Italico erupted as their hero lifted the trophy, completing the full set of nine Masters 1000 titles.

Sinner now boasts 10 Masters 1000 crowns overall, including two in Miami. He has never lost a set in any Masters final and rides a record 34-match winning streak at this level. His last defeat came in Shanghai in October 2025.

Chasing legends while rewriting records

Novak Djokovic holds the all-time record with 40 Masters 1000 titles and has completed the Golden Masters twice. Jannik Sinner, however, is closing in fast. He has already won five Masters events this season and could challenge Djokovic’s single-season mark of six from 2015.

By sweeping Monte-Carlo, Madrid, and Rome in the same year, Sinner also joined Rafael Nadal as the only players to win all three clay-court Masters 1000 titles in one season. Nadal achieved it in 2010.