Jannik Sinner has revealed whether he considered skipping the 2026 Madrid Open to rest after winning his previous three tournaments.
Prior to Madrid, Sinner began the clay-court season by securing his maiden title at the Monte Carlo Masters, where he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the final. This triumph saw Sinner replace Alcaraz as the world No 1.
In March, Sinner won the back-to-back Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami to complete the Sunshine Double for the first time.
The 24-year-old Italian is just the second player to win Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo in the same season after Novak Djokovic in 2015.
Some had expected Sinner to pull out of Madrid given his exploits since the start of March, but he chose to compete, and he has extending his winning streak to 19 matches by bearing Benjamin Bonzi and Elmer Moller.
If Sinner secures the title at Caja Magica, he will become the first player in history to win the first four ATP Masters 1000 tournaments on the calendar.
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In an interview on Tennis Channel Live, Sinner was asked if it was always his plan to play in Madrid.
“I mean, yes and no,” the four-time major champion replied. “When I won, or when I finished there in Monaco, I said, you know, in three, four days we decide if we play or if we don’t play.
“I woke up quite good body-wise. I was like, why not? So we go here, we try how my body feels.
“Even though the body is the most important, and I will always protect it, also for future events and also for future years.
“I made choices last year. I made choices a couple of years ago by not playing certain events. When I feel like that’s the right thing to do, I’m always going to do it.
“And also, in the middle of tournaments, you know? When I feel like it’s getting too much for the body, I’m not scared to say no.
“But at the moment, I feel quite good. Also mentally, in a quite good position, even though I played a lot in the last month.
“So let’s see, but I’m happy to be here, I’m happy to play at least one more match here, and then we’ll see how it goes.”
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