« No reason not to play Rome, but let’s see » : Jannik Sinner knows how much it takes to reach that level
Jannik Sinner became the first man to win five Masters 1000 titles in a row in Madrid. After the final, he addressed Alexander Zverev’s claim of a “big difference” at the top – and left his Rome participation hanging.
Jannik Sinner, Madrid 2026 | © Madrid Trophy Promotion
Jannik Sinner became the first man to win five Masters 1000 titles in a row on Sunday in Madrid, beating Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2 in barely an hour. Across his press conferences in the Spanish capital, the world number one fielded questions on his place in history, on Zverev’s claim of a “big difference” at the top of the men’s game, and on whether he will play next week in Rome. He answered all three, without quite committing to any of them.
You’re the first man to win five Masters 1000 titles in a row. How conscious are you of making history, of building a legacy?
Sinner: It means a lot. At the same time, as I always said, I cannot compare myself with Rafa, Roger, Novak. What they did is something incredible. I don’t play for these records, or I don’t play for records in general. I play for myself. I play for my team, because they know what’s behind it. I play for my family, because they have never changed how they are towards me – they are simple parents, and I feel very safe when I’m around them. We never talk about tennis when I’m at home, so it’s a great relationship. Of course, the numbers mean a lot. But there is a lot of discipline, a lot of sacrifice behind this.
Alexander Zverev said a few minutes ago that there is a big difference between you and the rest of the tennis players. Do you agree?
Sinner: It’s tough to say. Sometimes you have good days, sometimes you have bad days. It also depends who I play against. Today was a really good performance from my side, very solid, serving well. But I don’t compare myself with other players. I try to be the best possible version of myself, and that’s it. Day by day, it’s always different.
Rafa Nadal once said that “if” doesn’t exist in tennis. But what if you don’t lose a match for the rest of the season – is it possible?
Sinner: No, it’s not possible. It’s unnecessary to talk about this.
Most of the time the pressure is on my side, and you have to handle that too. Novak beat me in Australia playing incredible tennis. So I cannot predict the future.
Could you name one or two of the hardest matches in your five Masters run?
Sinner: Things can change quickly in every scenario. There are great players around, and they try to beat you every day. Most of the time the pressure is on my side, and you have to handle that too. Novak beat me in Australia playing incredible tennis. So I cannot predict the future. I don’t know how I’m going to arrive physically or mentally at the biggest stages and the biggest tournaments. I just try to put myself in the best possible position. Even today, if I drop a little bit of concentration, he breaks back in the second set, and everything starts over again.
Will you play Rome?
Sinner: 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. Physically, I’m good. There is no reason not to play Rome, of course. But it has been a very, very long tournament, starting from Indian Wells. Obviously I’m very happy, but now it’s also good to recover. Especially mentally – we did a lot. There is always a lot of pressure. So, yeah, let’s see.
Do you ever feel bored being a level above everybody else?
Sinner: You have to be careful with these kinds of questions. There are great players we know, who seem like they are coming, and they are actually there already. But you never know. Someone like Jodar – six months ago, nobody saw him, and he’s now around the names. Maybe in a couple of months there is a new player coming. Blockx made the semis here, and before he was a little bit undercover. My job is always to improve as a player, because the result is only a consequence of how much work you put in. We are working very well, but we need to keep going – because if you drop a little bit, people will catch up very fast.
