Ruud says Sinner is beatable' as world No 1 seeks record run at Italian Open

"Casper Ruud believes Jannik Sinner is not unbeatable but the rest of the field will have to catch the world No 1 on a favourable day as they try to stop him winning a record-extending sixth consecutive Masters 1000 title on home soil at the Italian Open. His results this year kind of speak for themselves, said Ruud. Four Masters 1000s in a row to begin the year. Four of four. He's already made history, he can make more history."

"But he also showed in the beginning of the year, he's beatable. Novak [Djokovic] beat him. [Jakub] Mensik beat him. But when he's on, not many can touch him. I would say that when both him and Carlos [Alcaraz] are on their highest level, they're kind of unreachable for the rest at the moment. It's a reason why they have won the last [nine] slams, these two guys."

"Despite Sinner playing only one match so far, easing past Sebastian Ofner in straight sets in his second-round match on Saturday night, his prospects look even stronger than at the start of the week because of the struggles of many other top players. The first few days in Rome have been disastrous for the highest-ranked challengers, with Djokovic, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Ben Shelton and Alex de Minaur, the players ranked No 3 to No 6, losing in their first matches."

"On Saturday the 15th seed, Arthur Fils, one of the most in-form players, then retired early in his opening match due to a hip injury. Mensik, the last person to beat Sinner, lost meekly in his second-round match. Ruud, the 23rd seed, has also struggled recently and this week marks his first outside the top 20 since 2021 as a consequence of not defending his title at the Madrid Open. However, he reached the fourth round on Sunday with an excellent 6-3, 6-4 win over the 11th seed, Jiri Lehecka."

Jannik Sinner is viewed as not unbeatable, with evidence that he has lost to Novak Djokovic and Jakub Mensik earlier in the year. When Sinner reaches his highest level, he is described as difficult for most players to match, alongside Carlos Alcaraz, and both are credited with winning recent Grand Slams. Sinner’s early results in Rome strengthen expectations after a straight-sets win over Sebastian Ofner. Other top contenders have struggled in the tournament, including first-round losses for several high-ranked players and an early retirement by Arthur Fils due to a hip injury. Jannik Mensik, who previously beat Sinner, also lost in the second round. Casper Ruud, currently outside the top 20, advanced to the fourth round with a win over Jiri Lehecka.

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