Jannik Sinner has been on a terrific run of form on the ATP Tour over the past few months.
The Italian didn’t get off to the best start to his 2026 season, beginning with a failed title defence at the Australian Open.
Sinner was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the semifinals at Melbourne Park, with the Serb stopping him from winning three straight titles.
He then lost in the quarterfinals at the Qatar Open, but since then, no one has been able to stop him. He’s won Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte-Carlo all in a row.
Sinner‘s return to form was expected by many, but tennis legend Boris Becker still finds his level ‘incredible’.
Boris Becker reveals Jannik Sinner was ‘really upset’ after Melbourne
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Becker said: “I think Jannik was really upset about losing to Djokovic in the fifth set in Melbourne; he wasn’t expecting it.
“The loss to Mensik in Doha was definitely easier to digest. He went to Indian Wells, where he’d never won, with a fist in his pocket, desperate to prove that what happened in Melbourne was an exception.
“I’d say the current Sinner is the best we’ve seen so far. Winning the ‘Sunshine Double’ is something extraordinary.
“For me, in terms of difficulty, it’s on par with winning a Grand Slam: West Coast, East Coast, time change, four weeks of commitment.
“And then going to Monte Carlo and winning the tournament while losing just one set… he’s done something incredible, a feat whose sporting, physical, and mental value seems inestimable to me.”
Jannik Sinner’s first opponent at the 2026 Madrid Open
Sinner will now aim to claim a fifth straight ATP Masters 1000 title in Madrid. With Carlos Alcaraz and Djokovic both missing the event, he appears to be in a strong position to do it.
Sinner opens his campaign against qualifier Benjamin Bonzi, a player he knows well. They’ve met three times on Tour, with Sinner winning each encounter.
Their head-to-head includes matches at Roland Garros in 2020, Indian Wells in 2022, and Rotterdam in 2023.
The winner will then face either qualifier Elmer Moller or Gabriel Diallo in the third round.
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