Jannik Sinner became the first man to win five successive Masters 1000 tournaments after defeating Alexander Zverev 6-1 6-2 in the Madrid Open final.
Sinner never faced a break point and converted all four that he won en route to lifting the Madrid trophy for the first time in a swift 57 minutes.
The Italian once again leaned on his brilliant backhand to beat the German, winning 93 per cent of points behind first serve, and ultimately lost just one set on his way to the title.
Sinner, asked about his five straight wins, told the ATP website: “I think there is a lot of work behind it. A lot of dedication and sacrifice I put in every day.
“Obviously it means a lot to me, seeing these results. At some point results are going to be down, which is normal.
“I’m very happy that I’ve continued to believe in myself. I’m showing up every day, at every practice session, trying to put in the right work with the right discipline.
“To do so, you need to have the right team behind you, which I have. I’m very happy about me but also the team, and this means a lot to all of us.”
Sinner needs two more victories to break Novak Djokovic’s 11-year-old record of six Masters 1000 titles in a single season.
PA
