Jannik Sinner became the first man to win five consecutive Masters 1,000 titles after beating Alexander Zverev in straight sets to win the Madrid Open.
The Italian first seed completed an impressive 6-1, 6-2 victory in 58 minutes against the world number three to achieve his record-breaking feat.
Sinner, 24, has won the opening three ATP 1,000 events of the season in Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo, and also triumphed five months ago in Paris.
“I think there is a lot of work behind it. A lot of dedication and sacrifice I put in every day. Obviously, it means a lot to me, seeing these results,” said Sinner, who has now beaten Zverev in nine consecutive meetings.
“At some point, results are going to be down, which is normal. I’m very happy that I’ve continued to believe in myself. I’m showing up every day, at every practice session, trying to put in the right work with the right discipline.”
Sinner surpassed the mark of Novak Djokovic, who won four consecutive events on three occasions, and Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who triumphed in four straight tournaments in 2013.
Djokovic also lifted five trophies in a row on two occasions, between Indian Wells and the Canadian Open in 2011, and from the 2014 Paris Masters to the 2015 Rome Masters, but did not play in Monte Carlo and Madrid respectively in the midst of those runs.
The Serb, 38, is also the only player to complete a career ‘Golden Masters’ of winning all nine Masters titles – something Sinner can match if he triumphs in Rome next week.
The current world number one lost in the final to Carlos Alcaraz last year in what was the Italian’s first tournament since serving a three-month doping ban.
Sinner dominated Sunday’s final in the Spanish capital, racing into a 5-0 first-set lead against the second seed, converting all four break points he earned, and not facing a single break point himself.
He broke for 2-1 in the second set, then once more for 5-2 before serving out the match for victory against two-time Madrid champion Zverev.
Sinner will also be the heavy favourite for next month’s French Open, where he fell just short to Alcaraz last year in a thrilling five-set final.
Should he win the French Open, Sinner would also complete a career Grand Slam of winning all four majors – becoming only the 10th man to achieve the feat.
Alcaraz, who became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam with his Australian Open triumph in January, did not play in Madrid and the 22-year-old has withdrawn from Roland Garros with a wrist injury.
Sinner won the hard-court tournaments in Paris, Indian Wells and Miami without dropping a set for a record 37 times in a row, before Tomas Machac snatched the second set in their third-round meeting on the Monte Carlo clay.
He has not dropped a set since, including in the Monte Carlo final against his great rival and defending champion Alcaraz.
