MADRID — World number one Jannik Sinner became the first man to win five consecutive Masters 1000 titles after delivering a dominant performance to defeat Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2 in just 57 minutes in the Madrid Open final on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Italian further strengthened his hold on the men’s tour by also becoming the first player to capture the season’s opening four Masters events, extending a remarkable winning streak across hard courts and clay.

Since his Paris triumph late last season, Sinner has continued his unstoppable run, adding titles in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and now Madrid, firmly establishing himself as the player to beat on tour.

The victory marked Sinner’s 10th win in 14 career meetings against Zverev and his ninth straight win over the German since Zverev last defeated him at the 2023 US Open. During that span, Zverev has managed to take only two sets.

Sinner wasted no time asserting control in the final, opening with an ace and two unreturnable serves. He broke Zverev in the second game and quickly raced to a 3-0 lead, striking the ball cleanly and aggressively as the German struggled to find rhythm.

After securing another break for 4-0, Sinner had dropped just five points in the first five games. Zverev held serve once to make it 5-1, but Sinner closed out the opening set in 25 minutes with another ace.

The second set followed a similar pattern. After both players held early service games, Sinner broke in the third game following a Zverev error and never looked back. He moved to a 4-2 lead before breaking again and comfortably served out the match to complete the emphatic victory.

During the trophy ceremony, a gracious Zverev acknowledged Sinner’s dominance, saying, “Please consider taking a break so you can leave something for us mortals. Playing against Sinner right now is just so hard. He leaves us no chance.”

The win reinforces Sinner’s growing dominance in men’s tennis, as he continues an extraordinary run of form across the biggest tournaments on the ATP Tour.

-Reporting by Fernando Kallas, editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters