Jannik Sinner has stormed into the history books at the Rome Masters, shattering Novak Djokovic's long-standing record for consecutive Masters 1000 wins. The world number one delivered a masterclass against Russian 12th seed Andrey Rublev, securing a commanding 6-2, 6-4 victory to book his spot in the semi-finals.
This triumph marks Sinner's 32nd straight match win at a Masters event, surpassing Djokovic's previous record and cementing his status as the dominant force on the ATP tour. The Italian sensation has been on an extraordinary run, having already made history in Madrid last week by becoming the first player to claim five consecutive Masters titles—a streak that includes victories in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo.
Playing in front of a passionate home crowd, Sinner showed poise beyond his years. "I don't play for records. I play for my own story," he said after the match. "At the same time, it means a lot for me. Emotionally, it takes a lot playing here at home. But I definitely try to do my best. It was a good day today."
The 24-year-old's latest victory, completed in just one hour and 32 minutes, also saw him equal Rafael Nadal's record of reaching the semi-finals at the first five Masters tournaments of a season. If Sinner goes on to claim the title in Rome, he will join Djokovic as only the second player to complete the career "Golden Masters"—winning all nine Masters 1000 events.
Standing between Sinner and a place in the final is seventh seed Daniil Medvedev, who survived a tough test against 20-year-old Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce. Medvedev dropped the first set 1-6 before rallying to win 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a gritty display of resilience.
In the women's draw, Coco Gauff continued her impressive run by ending Sorana Cirstea's memorable tournament with a 6-4, 6-3 semi-final victory. The Romanian veteran, who plans to retire at the end of the year, had been enjoying the best season of her career—even defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka earlier in the week.
Gauff, who has navigated a roller-coaster week in Rome, fought back from an early break down to reach her second WTA 1000 final of the year. The American is chasing her first title of 2026 and will be eager to go one better than last year, when she lost to Jasmine Paolini in the final. "I'm just happy to be through in straight sets today—it's been a marathon week," Gauff said. "I'm really happy to be back here in the final."
In Thursday's late match, Elina Svitolina delivered a stunning upset, defeating world number three Iga Swiatek 6-4, 2-6, 6-2. Swiatek was looking to build momentum after reaching her first final of the season, but Svitolina's experience and fighting spirit proved too much on the day.