Jannik Sinner punched his ticket for another ATP record with a 6-4, 6-4 title defeat of Casper Ruud to win the Rome Masters on Sunday, a feat which vaulted him even deeper into the game’s elite.

The Italian took a firmer grip on his world No. 1 ranking while becoming only the second man after Novak Djokovic to win a matched set of all nine Masters titles.

It took the 24-year-old only three years to accomplish that mark; it took Djokovic until age 31 to do the same.

Sinner also becomes the first Italian since Adriano Panatta in 1976 to lift the home trophy at the Foro Italico.

The four-time Grand Slam champion finished off his one and three-quarter hour defeat of Ruud with a forehand cross-court winner to the corner which the Norwegian could not handle.

The full-house Campo Centrale crowd erupted as their local hero sealed the deal.

“I’m really, really happy, there was a lot of tension (over the past few days,” the winner said after getting through some apparent physical issues in the previous two rounds.

“It was not perfect tennis from either of us today, but I’m incredibly happy. It’s been an amazing two and a half months for me.”

Sinner has claimed titles at the last all six Masters events he has played, starting last November when he won the Paris Indoors.

He then ran off five on the spin in 2026: Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and now Rome. 

“I try to come out and do my best every day,” Sinner said. “And not every day is simple.”

The Italian credited his fitness team for helping him through the tough circumstances of this weather-hit week in Rome.

 “I had some very physical and tough matches. I have to thank my physical eam for trying to keep up my body.

“They are as important as the coaches.”

Sinner joins Djokovic (2018) and Rafael Nadal (2010) as the only players to win all three ATP Masters 1000 titles on clay in a season following his title wins in Monte-Carlo and Madrid – and Rome.

Sinner has now won 29 straight matches this season and has compiled 34 in a row at the Masters level dating to Paris four months ago.

He goes into the Roland Garros in a week as heavy favourite after winning Rome for the first time following his 2025 finals defeat to Carlos Alcaraz.

Aryna Sabalenka would go along with a player boycott of the French Open as a controversy over paltry prize money blows up with the start of the Grand Slam now just weeks away.

The WTA world No. 1 is on board with a protest – the letter was also signed by men’s No. 1 Jannik Sinner – sent this week to tennis bosses complaining that players are getting underpaid by the four Grand Slams.

With Roland Garros starting on the Paris clay in just over a fortnight, a tense  situation is getting critical.

She reinforced her militant stand on Tuesday prior to the start of the Rome Masters.

“Without us there wouldn’t be a tournament and there wouldn’t be that entertainment. I feel like definitely we deserve to be paid more (percentage (of tournament revenues),” the four-time Grand Slam winner who turned 28 on the day said.

“I think at some point we will boycott it. “I feel like that’s going to be the only way to fight for our rights.” 

Players are seeking a larger slice of the pie at the majors, with the protest ignited as Paris announced a small prize money rise of around 10 percent.

ATP and WTA competitors say the USD 72 million total purse still gives them a lesser percentage of revenues, declining from 15.5 percent in 2024 to 14.9 for the upcoming edition.

Also joining the protest is Paris holder Coco Gauff, who takes her cues form women’s basketball in the US.

“Usually to make massive progress and things like this, it takes a union,” Gauff said. “We have to become unionized in some way. … We definitely can move more as a collective.”

But the Floridian said she had yet to hear any boycott threats.

Australian Open winner Elena Rybakina is also keen for serious action: 

“If the majority (of players) say we are boycotting, we are not playing, then of course I’m up for it. It’s not only about raising the prize money. 

“A lot of people are not aware that there is taxes which are big. You even make more prize money, but you giving it all to the taxes.”

Former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who has won the Roland Garros title four times, is hoping for a peaceful solution.

“Hopefully before Roland Garros there’s going to be opportunity to have these type of meetings and we’ll see how they go.

“But boycotting the tournament, it’s a bit extreme kind of situation.”

Jannik Sinner vowed on Sunday to extend his historic Masters 1000 win streak and will plough ahead into the Rome Masters which begins next week.

The on-fire Italian claimed an historic fifth straight Masters 1000 title in succession at the weekend as he crushed two-time Madrid winner Alexander Zverev with the loss of just three games in a rout lasting for less than an hour.

Now, Sinner plans to test his luck by fronting up at the Foro Italico to play as top seed without the bother of rival Carlos Alcaraz in the draw as the Spaniard heals a long-term wrist injury.

Sinner has another goal in the back of his mind besides the home trophy: should he win Rome – a record sixth straight Masters 1000 title – he would complete a matched set of all nine Masters trophies.

“I think playing at home is always very special. At the same time, now I just want to enjoy this. I don’t want to think about future plans,” the native German-speaker who can garner scorn from “real” Italians, said.

“Physically, I’m good. There is no reason not to play Rome, of course. But at the same time, I want to enjoy this. 

“It has been a very, very long tournament, starting from Indian Wells (early March) . 

“Obviously very happy, but now it’s also good to recover. Especially also mentally, we did a lot. There is always a lot of pressure.”

While basking in the glow of setting a tennis record with his five Masters titles, Sinner is not obsessing over his achievement.

“I don’t compare myself with other players. I try to be the best possible version of myself, and that’s it. In the same time, it also depends, you know, day by day it’s always different.”

Main photo:- Jannik Sinner lifts Madrid Mutua trophy – by ISF Ltd