Jannik Sinner showcased why he’s the current World No. 1 in the ATP Rankings with a near-flawless display against Casper Ruud at the Rome Open. The Italian crushed the reigning Madrid Masters champion 6-0, 6-1 in the quarterfinals, marking a statement performance on home soil. Sinner now advances to face Tommy Paul in the semifinals.
Returning to the court after a three-month absence due to a doping case that ultimately cleared him, Sinner proved his form is stronger than ever, dismantling one of the top clay-court players on the tour.
After the match, Sinner emphasized his focus on assessing his level throughout the tournament, stating that his performance against Ruud provided a clear signal of his progress.
“I was feeling great on the court today. I think we all saw that. My goal was to try to understand where my level is at this tournament,” Sinner said via ATP Tour. “It raised day by day, so I’m very happy about that. The result doesn’t really matter, but I felt today was a very positive sign for me”.
“Everything can change in one day. It’s not that one performance can tell everything about my shape now, but I’m very happy,” he continued. “I think today everything worked very well. I was serving well, also returning well, and moving great on the court. I’m very happy about that and now let’s see what’s coming in the semis”.
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Italian tennis enjoying a golden Era
Italian tennis continues to thrive, with multiple players achieving standout performances at the Rome Open. Lorenzo Musetti joined Sinner in the semifinals after defeating Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals.
This marks the first time in the Open Era that multiple Italian men have reached the semifinals in Rome and the first instance in Masters 1000 history (since 1990) where two Italians advanced to the final four of the same event. Musetti will now face Carlos Alcaraz for a place in the final.
On the WTA side, Jasmine Paolini reached the Rome final after defeating Peyton Stearns in the semifinals. She now awaits the winner of the match between Coco Gauff and Qinwen Zheng.
Sinner on his rivalry with Ruud
Sinner’s dominant victory extended his unbeaten record against Ruud to 4-0. The Italian revealed he aimed to replicate his previous success against the Norwegian, particularly from their clash at the ATP Finals, where he also secured a lopsided 6-1, 6-2 win.
“Every one of us has one or two opponents where we struggle a little bit more. I tried to replicate what I did in the past today on a different surface,” Sinner explained. “I was hitting the ball very well. These conditions, playing in the night against Casper, are a little bit better from my point of view because he cannot make the ball bounce as much”.
