Jannik Sinner is the hot favourite for the Madrid Open title.
The Italian, who has reclaimed the world number one spot from Jannik Sinner, is looking to become the first man in tennis history to win five consecutive Masters 1000 titles.
Sinner’s chances of doing so have been boosted following the withdrawals of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
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The 24-year-old, who is yet to win a title in Madrid, made his debut at the event five years ago.
How did the Italian fare on his first attempt in the Spanish capital?
Jannik Sinner won on his Madrid Open debut
Sinner, seeded 14th at the 2021 Madrid Open, was drawn against former world number 20, Guido Pella.
Sinner broke Pella’s serve twice in the first set, taking a commanding 6-2 lead over the Argentine in the Spanish capital.
The Argentine bounced back quickly, establishing a 4-1 lead in the second set.
However, Pella felt discomfort in his right leg shortly afterwards, and later retired from the contest at 4-4 in the second set.
“You know, obviously quite good feelings, to be honest, for one first-round match,” Sinner told reporters during his post-match press conference.
“It’s not easy playing against Guido because he’s lefty. I never practiced with him before. I never played against him before. So, you know, you never know what to expect.
“So, you know, trying to keep focusing about what I have to do. You know, I think it has been a good first match obviously.
“Unfortunately for Guido, you never want to win like this, you know. And then, you know, to be honest, he has a very tough moment now, you know.
Jannik Sinner’s Madrid Open record
- 2021 – Second round [lost to Alexei Popyrin]
- 2022 – Third round [lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime]
- 2024 – Quarter-finals [WALKOVER]
“Retired in Munich, and even last year with US Open, Australian Open, you know, what happened to him is unfortunate. So I really wish him good luck, because he’s a great player and a nice guy.”
Sinner’s run came to an end in the second round.
Alexei Popyrin, a qualifier and future Canadian Open champion, defeated Sinner 7-6, 6-2.
Alexander Zverev went on to win his second Madrid Open title, beating Italian star Matteo Berrettini in the final.
Jannik Sinner’s most recent performances in Madrid
Sinner has competed in three Madrid Open events: 2021, 2022 and 2024.
After making his tournament debut in 2021, Sinner returned to the event a year later and reached the third round.
The Italian, seeded 10th, defeated Tommy Paul and Alex de Minaur at the 2022 event, before losing to Felix Auger-Aliassime.
After missing the 2023 event, Sinner returned in 2024 – reaching the quarter-finals for the first time.
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Sinner defeated Lorenzo Sonego, Pavel Kotov and Karen Khachanov to reach the last eight in Madrid.
However, the Italian was forced to withdraw ahead of his quarter-final match with Felix Auger-Aliassime due to a hip injury.
Andrey Rublev went on to win the 2024 title, beating Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the final.
