“You don’t realise it, it happens with time”: Jannik Sinner discusses overtaking ATP generation once tipped as Big Three heirs

Jannik Sinner joined Novak Djokovic with the longest winning streak in Masters 1000 history following his victory over compatriot and World No. 155 Andrea Pellegrino in an all-Italian clash for a place in the Rome Open quarterfinals.

The World No. 1 matched Djokovic’s mark of 31 consecutive victories in Masters 1000 events while continuing his pursuit of a sixth consecutive title at the category level. Sinner advanced to the quarterfinals with another convincing display and now stands just three wins away from completing the Career Golden Masters — winning all nine Masters 1000 tournaments — an achievement that, so far, only Djokovic has accomplished.

“I think I can be very happy. It’s tricky conditions. At the end it was a bit less wind, but in the beginning it was not easy,” said Sinner during his on-court interview. “But I’m happy with how I’m trying to handle these kinds of situations. The stages are getting bigger and bigger, so I’m happy to put myself in this kind of position.”

The Italian will return to court on Thursday, May 14, for a fascinating showdown against Andrey Rublev. The Russian is one of the few players to defeat Sinner over the past two seasons, having done so at the 2024 Canadian Open, and will now attempt to upset the local favourite, who carries the pressure of potentially setting the all-time record for consecutive Masters 1000 victories. “Tomorrow I have a day off, which is important for me, trying to rest, and then hopefully I’m ready for the quarterfinals,” added Sinner.

Beyond the result itself, Sinner also reflected on the rapid rise of Italian tennis, with several home players making deep runs in Rome this week, including Luciano Darderi’s upset victory over Alexander Zverev. Asked what has made Italian tennis so successful in recent years, the World No. 1 pointed to the depth and diversity now present across the country’s top players.

“I think we are simply in a really good moment, to be honest. Many great players, all different players. You can see it here, a lot of Italian fans are coming to watch this kind of tournament," he said at press confence. “I think it’s really nice to be part of this movement. Today Andrea made an incredible tournament with many great memories for him. Hopefully this can give him confidence.

“I felt like today was a good match for both of us and also very physical. I was very happy with the level I played. He also played at a really good level, and I wish him only the best for the rest of the season. Hopefully this can give him a really good confidence boost for the rest of the season and also for his career.”

Sinner was also asked about the changing landscape of men’s tennis and whether he ever realised he could surpass the generation led by Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev — players once expected to fully inherit the sport after the dominance of the Big Three.

“You don’t realise it. It happens with time,” commented the four-time Grand Slam champion. “If you want to be a strong player, you have to play on all surfaces, all tournaments at the highest level. The mind makes all the difference. It depends on how you manage pressure during the tournament.

The Italian instead stressed the importance of adapting across all surfaces and keeping pace with the sport’s evolution, while warning that an even younger generation is already emerging.

“On the other hand, there’s already a new generation coming. If we look at the younger players, it’s my job to stay updated and understand how tennis is going to evolve," he added. “I think it’s going to be faster and faster. The serve is going to be a very important tool for the future. So we’ll see.”

Sinner will return to court this Thursday against 12th seed Rublev. At the moment, the head-to-head stands at 7-3 in favour of the Italian, who is chasing his 32nd consecutive Masters 1000 victory and the outright record for the most consecutive wins in tournaments at the category, definitively surpassing Djokovic.