Jannik Sinner has claimed himself a spot at a table for which no invitations are available, places have to be earned. Currently, this particular gathering includes Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Today, though, the Italian pulled up his own chair. His resounding 6-2, 6-4 win over Arthur Fils in the semi-finals of the Mutua Madrid Open completed one of the most exclusive collections in modern tennis as he has now reached the final in all nine Masters 1000 tournaments. Of course, Sinner’s title haul still falls a long way short of those of the Big 3, but it is certainly not to be sniffed at either.
Madrid was the missing link. The only final in the category he had never graced, and he now seems to have crossed it off with relative ease. Since the Masters 1000s were conceived back in 1990, only Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal had managed to reach the title bout in every tournament on the calendar. Federer completed his set in Paris in 2011 at the age of 30; Djokovic did so in Shanghai in 2012, at 25; Nadal in Cincinnati 2013, at 27. Sinner has done it at 24, that is to say, younger than any of the others.
This fact alone is enough to cap a spectacular afternoon in the Caja Magica, but his win over Fils has even further implications. To start with, it is Sinner’s 350th career win, making him the first man born this century to reach the mark. The Italian’s progress has been so rapid that it almost requires another look at the numbers to make sure there has not been some kind of mistake. He is now fourth on the list for most ATP victories by players from his country in the Open Era, only behind Fabio Fognini, Adriano Panatta and Andreas Seppi.
This is also his fifth consecutive final at Masters 1000 tournaments. Until now, only Novak Djokovic, who strung seven together twice, and Rafa Nadal, with five two times, had enjoyed a similar run to that of Jannik. Sinner arrives in the final in Madrid with 27 consecutive wins in the category. His streak started in Paris last year and has continued with titles in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo.
As if all of this were not enough, by reaching the final this week in Madrid, Sinner becomes the third player in history to play in the finals of the first four Masters 1000s of the season. Federer achieved the feat in 2006, while Nadal did so in 2011. Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid. Four events, four big Sundays.
There is still one more record up for grabs, and it is perhaps the craziest of the lot. If Sinner wins the decider on Sunday, he will take the Madrid crown for the first time and become the first player in history to string together five consecutive Masters 1000 titles. Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo are already in the bag. Victory in Madrid would put him out on his own. Nole won five straight Masters 1000s that he played in, but they were not consecutive events as he skipped one.
Regardless of what happens on Sunday, Sinner has already done enough to sit at the same table as Roger, Rafa and Nole. The worrying thing for everyone else is that we are still counting.
