Moving from Madrid to Rome, Jannik Sinner continues his relentless march as a new-generation record-breaker, showing no signs of slowing down.
Before his match against world No. 82 Sebastian Ofner, there were speculations that the Italian might not go all out in his home Masters event, given the tough competition in his half and the upcoming French Open. However, after surprise exits of Ben Shelton and Felix Auger-Aliassime from his section, the path eased significantly. Some then predicted Sinner would aim for straight-set wins to conserve energy.
The result lived up to expectations. Despite earlier reports of fatigue or discomfort, Sinner looked sharp, defeating Ofner 6-3, 6-4 in straight sets. The match highlighted the world No. 1’s overwhelming dominance: his baseline shots were laser-guided, his forehand penetrative, and his backhand rock-solid. His serve placement and sliding ability on clay made him a terrifying opponent.
After the win, social media buzzed with the question: “With Carlos Alcaraz absent, who can challenge Sinner?” Many believe Sinner has a strong chance to achieve the ‘Golden Masters’ title in Rome. Additionally, this victory extended Sinner’s winning streak in Masters 1000 events to 29 matches, tying Roger Federer’s record. Given his form, it seems only a matter of time before he surpasses both Federer’s mark and Novak Djokovic’s 31-match Masters streak.
Meanwhile, Zheng Qinwen drew attention not for her loss to Jelena Ostapenko, but for her candid post-match analysis. In the past, Zheng often attributed defeats to external factors, drawing criticism. This time, she frankly admitted three issues: poor return and defense, missed opportunities on key points, and the intense pressure from Ostapenko’s aggressive return game, especially with Zheng’s low second-serve win rate of 29%. Zheng acknowledged these problems and said she is “looking for a suitable way to improve her return game,” earning praise for her grounded attitude.