Jannik Sinner won his sixth consecutive Masters 1000 title on Sunday after defeating Casper Ruud in the Italian Open final.
Sinner, the world number one, defeated Ruud 6-4, 6-4 in the Nicola Pietrangeli Stadium, capturing his 10th Masters 1000 title in total.
Sunday’s victory represented a proud moment for Sinner, who became the first Italian winner of the men’s singles title since Adriano Panatta in 1976.
Do you think Jannik Sinner could really win all 9 Masters 1000 events in 2026?
The occasion was made even more special when Panatta entered the court and presented Sinner with the trophy during the post-match ceremony.
Riccardo Piatti, the former coach of Sinner, has offered his heartwarming reaction to witnessing Sinner and Panatta together in Rome.
Riccardo Piatti says it was a ‘dream come true’ to watch Jannik Sinner win the Italian Open
Riccardo Piatti first watched Jannik Sinner play tennis when the four-time Grand Slam champion was only 12 years old.
Piatti became Sinner’s coach shortly afterwards, and the pair worked together for eight years before parting ways in 2022.
Piatti, 67, has expressed his joy at witnessing his former student lift the Italian Open trophy.
“Seeing you together yesterday was particularly moving for me,” Piatti said in a statement relayed by the Piatti Tennis Center on X.
“Thanks to Adriano [Panatta], I began playing tennis and falling in love with the sport: in 1984, Adriano, along with Angelo Bartoni and Tonino Rasicci, had asked me to work in the technical department to scout and develop new players.
Jannik Sinner’s Italian Open campaign
- Round One: BYE
- Round Two: defeated Sebastian Ofner 6-3, 6-4
- Round Three: defeated Alexei Popyrin 6-2, 6-0
- Round Four: defeated Andrea Pellegrino 6-2, 6-3
- Quarter-finals: defeated Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4
- Semi-finals: defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 5-7, 6-4
- Final: defeated Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4
“My dream was that one of the players I would coach could win Rome and Paris, where he had made Italian tennis history.
“And then came Jann [Jannik], whom I was fortunate enough to watch grow up close and who continues to grow, writing the history of Italian tennis.
Seeing them together was wonderful. Well done Jann and well done to your team.
“I hope to see this embrace again in a few weeks at the RG.
“Dreams, sometimes, do come true.”
Sinner will now turn his attention towards Roland Garros, where he hopes to win the event for the first time.
Sinner was just one point from winning last year’s title, but ultimately lost to Carlos Alcaraz in an extraordinary five-set final.
If Sinner wins the title in Paris, he will become only the sixth player in the Open Era to complete the ‘Career Grand Slam.’
Jannik Sinner’s message when he split with coach Riccardo Piatti
After many successful years together, my coaching team and I have decided to part ways,” Sinner said in a post on X in 2022.
“I’d like to thank Riccardo, Dalibor, Claudio, Andrea, Cristian, and Gaia for everything they have done for me from the beginning of my career until now.
How would you rate Jannik Sinner’s performance in the Italian Open final out of 10?
“Riccardo especially, he taught me many things that will forever remain a part of my tennis.
“Many special memories were made and I’ll always look back on the time we spent together fondly.”
Later that year, Sinner hired Darren Cahill as his full-time coach.
Under Cahill’s tutelage, Sinner has won four Grand Slam titles, 10 Masters 1000 titles, and achieved the world number one ranking.
Cahill had planned to step down from his role as Sinner’s coach at the end of the 2025 season.
However, the Australian coach – who has also worked with Andre Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt – has since altered his plan of action and remains within Sinner’s coaching team alongside Simone Vagnozzi.
