Jannik Sinner is hoping to win a fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title at the Madrid Open.
The Italian recently won his fourth consecutive Masters title in Monte Carlo, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
As a result, Sinner has reclaimed the world number one spot from his great rival.
Who do YOU think will win the Madrid Open? 💭
Sinner’s route to a fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title has been made significantly easier following the withdrawals of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
However, Sinner’s path to glory is far from simple, and he will need to appropriately manage the ‘unique’ conditions in Madrid.
Jannik Sinner says the Madrid Open has ‘unique conditions’
The Madrid Open is currently held on the clay courts at the Caja Mágica in Manzanares Park, San Fermín.
While the Madrid Open is far from a ‘high-altitude’ event, the tournament is held at more than 500 metres above sea level.
Jannik Sinner has described these conditions as ‘unique.’
“I think the tournament has some very unique conditions,” Sinner explained during an interview with the Madrid Open. “There’s the altitude, there can be wind at times… it’s not so easy to play.
“But I think any clay court can help me.
“I’m trying to improve as a player, and this tournament could be one of the most challenging. I’ve never played well here.
“We’ll see what I can do this year.”
Jannik Sinner reflects on the absences of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic
The Italian, a winner of four Grand Slam titles, also commented on the absences of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic from Madrid.
Alcaraz picked up a wrist injury in Barcelona, while Djokovic is nursing a right shoulder injury.
“When they’re not in the draw, the situation is quite unique,” Jannik added.
“We’ve shared many tournaments, but if I want to play Carlos, it will only be in the final. The road to a final is very long, and anything can happen there.
Should Carlos Alcaraz skip Roland Garros if he’s not 100% fit?
At the same time, I always take it one day at a time. I have many challenges ahead, starting with the first match against a qualifier who will already have a couple of matches under his belt here.
“I have to try to figure out how to play on this surface and in Madrid.”
The last time a player won four consecutive Masters 1000 titles
Before Sinner, Novak Djokovic was the last to win four straight Masters titles.
The Serbian superstar completed the feat across the 2015 and 2016 seasons, winning in Shanghai, Paris, Indian Wells and Miami.
Remarkably, Djokovic had completed the feat twice before: from 2013 to 2014, and from 2014 to 2015.
Rafael Nadal is the third player to accomplish the feat, winning four consecutive Masters events in 2013 – Madrid, Rome, Canada and Cincinnati.
