On May 16, 2026, Jannik Sinner showcased his resilience as he edged past Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in a rain-delayed semifinal at the Italian Open. This victory marks Sinner’s 28th consecutive win as he prepares to face Casper Ruud in the finals.
As the reigning top seed, Sinner is on the brink of achieving a remarkable milestone: he needs only one more victory to become just the second player in history, after Novak Djokovic, to claim all nine Masters 1000 titles. However, the Italian Open remains the only Masters event that has eluded him thus far.
The semifinal match had been interrupted due to rain with Sinner leading 4-2 in the third set. When play resumed the following day, he quickly captured the match, sealing his victory on his third match point, following a spirited defense from Medvedev who had saved two earlier points on his serve.
“It was a very different challenge and a tough challenge,” Sinner reflected after the match. “Usually, during the night, I don’t struggle to sleep, but this time it was not easy. You are in the third set, nearly done, but you still have to show up again and you never know what is happening.”
Casper Ruud displayed impressive steadiness during his own semifinal match against home favorite Luciano Darderi, achieving a commanding 6-1, 6-1 victory even amidst a nearly two-hour rain delay.
The men’s final is set for Sunday, while the women’s championship will feature Coco Gauff against Elina Svitolina later in the day. Sinner is eyeing to become the first Italian man to lift the prestigious Rome trophy in 50 years, a feat last achieved by Adriano Panatta in 1976. Panatta will be on hand to present the trophy to this year’s champion, with Italian President Sergio Mattarella also attending the final.
In the semifinal, Sinner appeared to be fatigued at times, especially as Medvedev ramped up his game with strategic drop shots and corner-hitting groundstrokes. A moment of concern occurred when Sinner was seen bending over, clearly exhausted, and requiring treatment on his right thigh from a trainer midway through the second set. Although he struggled through the second set, ultimately yielding it to Medvedev, he regained his footing in the final set with a crucial early break.
With this victory, Sinner has now triumphed in 10 of his last 11 encounters against Medvedev. He also boasts an unblemished track record against Ruud, having won all four previous meetings without dropping a set, including a dominant performance in last year’s quarterfinals where he won 6-0, 6-1.
This upcoming final is particularly significant for Ruud as he acknowledges the challenge ahead. “Jannik is chasing history,” Ruud stated. “I have to be the guy to try to stop him, and it will not be easy playing here in his home country.”
Sinner, for his part, has remained on a stellar winning streak since a defeat to Jakub Mensik at the Qatar Open in February, and he is also aiming to replicate Rafael Nadal’s 2010 achievement of winning all three Masters 1000 tournaments on clay within the same season. Following his pursuit at Rome, Sinner will set his sights on the French Open, the sole Grand Slam title that has thus far escaped him.
