Jannik Sinner became the first man to win five consecutive Masters 1,000 titles after beating Alexander Zverev in straight sets to win the Madrid Open.
The Italian first seed completed an impressive 6-1 6-2 victory in 58 minutes against the world number three to achieve his record-breaking feat.
Sinner, 24, has won the opening three ATP 1,000 events of the season in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo, and also triumphed five months ago in Paris.
“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,” said Sinner, who has now beaten Zverev in nine consecutive meetings.
“At some point, results are going to be down, which is normal. 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.”
Sinner surpassed the mark of Novak Djokovic, who won four consecutive events on three occasions, and Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who triumphed in four straight tournaments in 2013.
Djokovic also lifted five trophies in a row on two occasions, between Indian Wells and the Canadian Open in 2011, and from the 2014 Paris Masters to the 2015 Rome Masters, but did not play in Monte Carlo and Madrid respectively in the midst of those runs.
The Serb, 38, is also the only player to complete a career ‘Golden Masters’ of winning all nine Masters titles – something Sinner can match if he triumphs in Rome next week.