World No. 1 Jannik Sinner kept his remarkable run alive on Friday, cruising past France's rising star Arthur Fils to book a place in the Mutua Madrid Open championship match. The 24‑year‑old Italian displayed a masterclass, dismantling Fils 6-2, 6-4 in just 85 minutes inside the iconic Manolo Santana Stadium, marking his fifth straight Masters 1000 final appearance.
Sinner entered the encounter riding a nine‑match winning streak that had already produced a title in Barcelona. From the first point, he imposed his game, serving with precision and attacking relentlessly. He surrendered only three of 24 first‑serve points and never faced a break point, a testament to his dominance. "I tried to be very aggressive," Sinner explained afterward, noting his comfort on the return and the way his opponent improved his serve in the second set, making the closing stages a bit tougher.
"I'm very happy with the overall performance today. I try to play the best tennis possible, and today was a great day at the office." The Italian's aggressive baseline play, punctuated by delicate drop shots, left Fils without a single victory on clay this season. Although the French teenager fought back in the second set, varying his tactics to stay competitive, Sinner secured a decisive break and wrapped up the match without letting the momentum slip. "I knew before the match that he is one of the best players in the world right now," Sinner said of Fils, adding that he was pleased to share the court with such a talented opponent, who he believes is good for the sport.
Sinner's next challenge will be a showdown with the third seed, Germany's Alexander Zverev, who also booked his place in the final after a straight‑sets victory over Belgium's Alexander Blockx, 6-2, 7-5. Zverev, who has now reached the Madrid final four times – a feat previously achieved only by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – expressed excitement about the upcoming clash.
"I’m very happy to be in a final. There were many tough battles, especially at the start of the tournament," Zverev said. "I look forward to playing Jannik again and expect a hard match. The better player will win on Sunday.
Tennis is very easy for him right now, the way he is playing. Maybe on Sunday I will make it a bit more difficult for him. The last eight times I didn’t win much. He is the best player in the world for sure, and I will try to give him a tough battle." Analyst Miles Maclagan praised Sinner's performance, calling it another routine day at the office for the Italian.
He highlighted the contrast between Fils' potential and the current gap to the very top, noting that Fils would likely use the loss as a learning experience. "The match underlined the gap between how good Fils is, how dangerous he is, to the very best, and he will improve.
He will take stock and be a little frustrated with his performance but he wasn't really allowed to play, particularly in that first set. It was really spectacular from Sinner, who was clinical," Maclagan said.
Former doubles specialist Colin Fleming added, "It’s the business end, isn’t it? And it was all business from Sinner today.
That was a remarkable performance really." Sinner's victory propelled him into an exclusive club: he became only the fourth player ever to reach the final of all nine ATP Masters 1000 events, joining Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, and he achieved this milestone as the youngest to do so. His unbeaten run at this elite level now stands at 27 matches, a streak that includes titles in Paris last year as well as Indian Wells, Miami and Monte‑Carlo earlier in 2026.
The Italian has already amassed eight Masters 1000 crowns, his first coming in Toronto in 2023, and he is poised to add another if he can capture the Madrid trophy and then triumph in Rome. Achieving victories in all nine Masters 1000 tournaments would earn him the coveted career Golden Masters, a distinction currently held only by Novak Djokovic, who has completed the feat 40 times.
Reflecting on his run, Sinner told Sky Sports, "One more final here, it’s an amazing result. For me, the most important thing was trying to raise my level today, which I did, especially in the first set – very, very aggressive and I’m changing direction very well. I’m very happy to close it out in two and it means a lot to me, of course." The upcoming final promises a clash of two of the sport’s brightest talents, with Zverev looking to upset the dominant form of Sinner and the Italian aiming to cement his place among the all‑time greats.
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