Jannik Sinner delivered one of the most significant performances of his career on Sunday, defeating Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to win the Internazionali BNL d'Italia title in Rome and complete the Career Golden Masters — becoming just the second player in ATP history to win all nine Masters 1000 events, alongside Novak Djokovic.
The 24-year-old Italian, playing on home soil, recovered from a slow start against Ruud to claim his sixth consecutive Masters 1000 crown and his 10th overall. The victory also marked the first time an Italian had won the Rome title since Adriano Panatta in 1976, a half-century wait that Sinner acknowledged with emotion in his on-court interview.
"I think this year was the 50th year since an Italian won and I am really, really happy," Sinner said after the match. "There was a lot of tension on both sides, it was not perfect tennis from my side, but I am very happy with the way I handled it."
The final was contested in front of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, adding to the occasion. Ruud, the 23rd seed, made a strong start by winning eight of the first nine points to take an early 2-0 lead. But Sinner steadied himself and found his rhythm, breaking back at 2-1 with a series of punishing groundstrokes.
After weathering an early wave of Ruud aggression, Sinner took control with a perfect drop shot at 4-4, 15/15 that drew a fist pump and a rendition of "Ole, Ole, Ole, Sinner, Sinner" from the packed Campo Centrale crowd. He broke Ruud to close out the first set 6-4.
Sinner broke immediately at the start of the second set with a backhand winner down the line and never looked back, converting his second match point to seal the title in one hour and 44 minutes.
The physical demands of the tournament had raised questions about Sinner's fitness after his semi-final against Daniil Medvedev, which began on Friday but was completed on Saturday. But the World No. 1 credited his support team for keeping him in peak condition.
"It was physical and very tough but I am very happy," Sinner added. "I give big thanks to my physical team I have all year long, trying to keep up my body, which is as important as the tennis coaches."
With the victory, Sinner heads into the clay-court season's climax as the undisputed king of Rome and a player who has etched his name into the sport's history books.
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