Jannik Sinner began his campaign for a record-setting fifth straight Masters 1000 title at the Mutua Madrid Open on Friday, overcoming a stern test from Benjamin Bonzi to advance, 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-4.
“I struggled quite a lot here, but I knew this before the match that these are very unique courts and conditions,” Sinner said on court after the match. “But I believe every day is different and can make a big difference. I know this, so I can improve slightly for the next round. I tried to stay calm mentally, and that’s why I won today. Tennis-wise, we’ll try to improve. I have one day off, so I’ll use it in a positive way, and we’ll see how far I can go.”
Sinner has now won 18 straight matches—23 in a row on the Masters 1000 level dating back to the Rolex Paris Masters last fall—and is poised to compete the remainder of the clay-court swing without chief rival Carlos Alcaraz, who announced plans to withdraw from the Internazionali BNL d’Italia and Roland Garros due to a wrist injury.
“At the moment, I’m trying to figure out how to play here on this surface,” Sinner said of the possible “Djokemon.”