JAKARTA - World number one tennis player Jannik Sinner has matched Novak Djokovic's record after securing a place in the fourth round of the 2026 Italian Open and recording his 25th consecutive victory at the ATP Masters 1000 level this season.
The Italian tennis player advanced to the last 16 after defeating Alexei Popyrin with a landslide score of 6-2 and 6-0 in a match that took place in Rome, on Monday local time or Tuesday, May 12, 2026 Indonesian time.
"In this kind of condition, I feel the wind moving in one direction. I don't have to change the game much, but when playing with the wind, you try to move the ball more. When playing against the wind, I try to play more flat," said Sinner, quoted by the ATP official website.
The victory makes Sinner the second player after Djokovic to win the first 25 ATP Masters 1000 matches in a calendar season.
The 24-year-old continued his perfect start at the Masters 1000 level tournament after previously winning the title in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid.
Sinner also previously made history as the first player to win five consecutive Masters 1000 tournaments after coming out as the champion at the Madrid Open eight days ago.
Facing his second match in the last two weeks in Rome, Sinner immediately appeared aggressive by breaking Popyrin's serve in the opening game.
He then dominated the course of the match through a combination of precise drop shots and solid baseline play to lock in the victory in their fourth meeting while improving the record of a 3-1 win-loss record over Popyrin.
"It was a really good performance. He has a strong serve and his percentage is not too high, which helps me a little. I also returned the second serve very well and am happy to get through to the next round," said Sinner.
Sinner will next face world number 155 Andrea Pellegrino, a qualifier who knocked out 20th seed Frances Tiafoe.
If he is able to win this week's tournament, Sinner will become the second player after Djokovic to complete the Career Golden Masters and become the first Italian men's singles champion in Rome since Adriano Panatta in 1976.
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