Jannik Sinner targets maiden French Open title after historic Rome win
World number one Jannik Sinner heads into the French Open as the overwhelming favourite to secure his maiden title at Roland-Garros following a historic victory at the Italian Open.
The 24-year-old defeated Casper Ruud in straight sets on Sunday to claim the crown in Rome.
That triumph made the Italian the youngest player to complete the Career Golden Masters, surpassing Novak Djokovic’s previous record.
It also extended his remarkable winning run to 29 matches, cementing his status as the man to beat in Paris.
Victory in Paris feels inevitable
Former British tennis player Laura Robson believes the top seed is operating at a level far above his current rivals.
“The fact that we’re already saying, ‘yeah, he probably will win Roland-Garros’. You go down the list and no one else looks anywhere near his level at the moment.”
Robson noted that the reigning champion of Rome will face immense pressure over the next fortnight, but praised his incredibly relaxed demeanour.
“He’s won so many matches, this feels natural for him. He’s not overthinking things. But when he gets to these big finals he’s just so relaxed.”
She added that he is now fully accustomed to the intense expectations of the sport and continuously finds ways to improve his game.
Unrelenting consistency on clay
The outstanding recent form of the world’s best player includes a flawless 17-0 record on clay this year.
His last defeat came back in February against Jakub Mensik during the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open.
After overcoming physical exhaustion to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the Rome semi-finals, he showed zero signs of fatigue during the comprehensive final victory.
Robson highlighted the rare physical and mental fortitude required to maintain such an exceptional unbeaten streak.
“There’s so few players who can play this amount of matches without losing concentration, without getting injured. I think also it’s the mentality that he has.”
