"The core issue is that Sinner is extraordinary," Ruud said after the one-hour 45-minute final. "Having faced many top players in my career, I can confirm that few reach that level. If anyone does, it's a rare occurrence."

Ruud played a solid match. He responded resiliently and evenly against the world's number one star for the first 45 minutes, when Sinner started somewhat hesitantly. However, the momentum shifted as the Italian player gradually imposed his rhythm and maintained consistency in every rally, making it impossible for Ruud to keep up.

By winning the Rome Masters, Sinner became the only male player since Novak Djokovic eight years ago to win all nine tournaments in the ATP Masters 1000 series. The Serbian superstar achieved this after completing the final piece in Cincinnati in 2018. Sinner also matched Rafael Nadal's record of winning all three clay-court Masters 1000 tournaments in a single season. In 2010, the "King of Clay" also achieved a historic treble at Monte-Carlo, Madrid, and Rome before winning at Roland Garros.

Currently, Sinner's dominance instills fear in his opponents, while fans of the player born in 2001 are elated at the prospect of a historic season. Except for a stumble at the Australian Open 2026, where Carlos Alcaraz claimed victory, the rest of the season to date has been a solo performance by Sinner.

Once again, Alcaraz's name came up in Ruud's interview. "Yes, Carlos and Jannik belong to that rare class," he explained. "I never faced the 'Big 3' at their peak, only towards the end of their careers. At that time, I thought they were slightly easier opponents. But anyone who faced Federer, Djokovic, or Nadal at 25 must have experienced a similar feeling to mine against Jannik this time. And unfortunately for his opponents, I see no signs of him slowing down."

Sinner's successful run on clay this season was a question mark a month and a half ago. Last year, he showed "potential" by reaching the finals of the Foro Italico and Roland Garros, but in 2026, Sinner made a spectacular breakthrough, successively overpowering every opponent in Monte-Carlo, Madrid, and then Rome.

Sinner has won 29 consecutive matches since his last defeat on 19/2 in Doha, and he has established a 34-match unbeaten streak in Masters 1000 tournaments, accompanied by a record six consecutive titles in this series.

Ruud also explained his dip in form at the end of the first set and the beginning of the second set, when Sinner pulled ahead. "He served too well, and I couldn't do much in my service games," the 27-year-old admitted. "My shots were a bit shallow. And when you hit shallow and inaccurate shots against Jannik, he will dominate every corner of the court, leaving you helpless."

Last year, Ruud experienced this bitter lesson when Sinner crushed him 6-0, 6-1 in just one hour. Returning to Rome this time, after watching Sinner's intense semifinal against Daniil Medvedev, Ruud had devised a strategy: to test the Italian player's stamina.

"When I stepped onto the court, I told myself that the longer the match lasted, the greater my chances," he recounted. "But you can't dictate the match duration when facing Jannik. Normally, he just steps onto the court and destroys his opponent in an hour. At least this final lasted a bit longer."

Meanwhile, Sinner reminisced about 2019, his first time participating in the Rome Masters. "That match, I played against Steve Johnson," Sinner said. "Back then, I just wanted to avoid making a fool of myself. I come from a village with only 2,000 residents, where people mainly ski, so I never thought I would be in this position today. I will always try to give 100%."

The victory in Rome solidified Sinner's position as world number one, widening the gap with his pursuers. He is now 2,740 points ahead of Alcaraz, and this gap is even described as a "vast chasm" compared to world number three Alexander Zverev, who trails Sinner by 8,995 points. Djokovic is currently ranked fourth and is 9,990 points behind Sinner.

Sinner will head to Paris as the number one favorite for the Roland Garros 2026 title, where he has the opportunity to extend this lead to a record level. Alcaraz, who has been sidelined due to injury since 14/4, will automatically have 2,000 points deducted from his 2025 title, while Sinner could gain an additional 700 points if he wins his first clay-court Grand Slam.

The 24-year-old Italian player has now spent 71 weeks as world number one. Therefore, regardless of the outcome at Roland Garros, he will certainly surpass Swedish legend Stefan Edberg (72 weeks) after the tournament concludes. Sinner's next target at 10th place is former Australian player Lleyton Hewitt (80 weeks).

Hoang Thong compiled