Rome [Italy], May 12 : Italian star Jannik Sinner has matched Serbian Legend Novak Djokovic's record of 31 consecutive ATP Masters 1000 victories after defeating qualifier Andrea Pellegrino 6-2, 6-3 at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome on Tuesday, according to Olympics.com.
Sinner, who is the world No. 1, sealed the 88-minute win at Campo Centrale to move into the quarterfinals, where he will face either Andrey Rublev or Nikoloz Basilashvili on Wednesday.
Ranked 155th in the world and making his first appearance against a top-10 player, Pellegrino had an opportunity to break twice at 3-2 in the second set. However, Sinner raised his level, winning four consecutive games and closing out the match on his first match point.
Sinner's current streak, which now equals Djokovic's benchmark, began at last year's Paris Masters. During this run, he has won five straight Masters 1000 titles and has dropped only two sets in his last 62 matches at this level.
He also holds a dominant 57-0 record against players ranked outside the top 50 since his defeat to Dusan Lajovic in Cincinnati in 2023, along with an 18-0 record against Italian opponents on tour.
A victory in his next match would see Sinner become the outright holder of the longest winning streak in ATP Masters 1000 history.
Earlier in May, Sinner defeated Germany's Alexander Zverev in straight sets to lift the Madrid Open title and become the first-ever player to win five consecutive Masters 1000 titles, according to the ATP website. The No. 1 player in the ATP Rankings eased to a 6-1, 6-2 triumph inside Manolo Santana Stadium.
After the match, Sinner said the achievement of five consecutive Masters 1000 titles reflects his hard work, dedication and daily sacrifices, adding that while the success means a lot, he knows results will eventually dip as part of the sport.
"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," Sinner said as quoted by the ATP website.
Sinner said he's proud of staying confident and is working with discipline every day. He credited his team's support, adding that the success means a lot to all of them.
"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," said Sinner.