By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Picture credit score: Mutua Madrid Open Fb
Roll play is an underrated asset of Jannik Sinner’s productive portfolio.
Going through a 5-6 deficit to Spanish phenom Rafael Jodar, Sinner may really feel festive Madrid followers able to rock the Magic Field in anticipation of a 3rd set.
Sinner responded with energy surge closure.
The highest-seeded Sinner roared by 11 factors in a row subduing harmful hometown hero Jodar 6-2, 7-6(0) to advance to his maiden Mutua Madrid Open semifinal.
A streaking Sinner scored his Twenty first consecutive victory, elevating his 2026 file to 28-2.
It’s a streak present season for Sinner, who has already captured championships in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte-Carlo and now stands two wins from mastering Madrid.
Persevering with his hunt for a file fifth straight ATP Masters 1000 championship, Sinner posted his twenty sixth Masters 1000 match win in a row.
A cussed Sinner performed daring tennis going through break-point stress. Sinner saved all seven break factors he confronted, together with holding from 15-40 deficits in each the sixth and eighth video games of the second set.
“He pushed me to the restrict, he’s an unbelievable participant,” Sinner mentioned of Jodar. “I attempted to be prepared as a lot as I may. First time enjoying in opposition to him.
“[Now] he is aware of what to anticipate. I do know what to anticipate. I’m extremely completely happy it’s been a top quality match . I bought a bit fortunate within the second set, however a little bit of expertise [helped] too. My first time within the semis right here so very completely happy.”
It’s a semifinal set for Sinner, who has now reached the semifinals or higher in all 9 ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. Sinner joins Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Alexander Zverev because the sixth man in sequence historical past to attain that feat.
Regardless of this defeat, Jodar solidified his standing as a harmful risk for upcoming clay-court tournaments at Rome and Roland Garros. The lanky Jodar can detonate his forehand to harmful impact, can play fearless down the road drives and figures to solely get stronger and sharper shifting ahead. The Marrakech champion started 2025 ranked No. 896, cracked the High 200 final November, earlier than breaking into the High
100 in March. At present, Jodar climbs to a career-high No. 34 within the ATP Stay Rankings.
The Wimbledon winner, who joins Federer and Nadal because the third man to succeed in semifinals on the first 4 Masters occasions of a season, will play both Eleventh-seeded Jiri Lehecka or Twenty first-seeded Frenchman Arthur Fils for a spot in Sunday’s ultimate.
“I really feel like reaching semis in each match is hard,” Sinner mentioned. “Look I attempt to enhance on each floor, each situation. Right here is sort of distinctive. I’m very completely happy.”
At present’s highly-hyped quarterfinal between 2024 US Open champion Sinner and 2024 US Open boys’ champion Jodar largely lived as much as the hype.
Early on, Sinner could properly have felt he was going through a teenage model of himself as Jodar was rocketing forehands even quicker than the highest seed.
Curiously, it was Sinner’s selection—deploying the drop shot, altering the form of his pictures and dotting all areas of the field on serve—that helped him prevail at present. Twice down break factors, Sinner stunned Jodar pulling out the drop shot-lob mixture beating the Spaniard listed at 6’3” (however absolutely taller) with clear topspin lob winners.
Jodar went deep in Sinner’s serve video games within the early phases of each units.
The Sunshine Double ruler botched a routine smash because the fourth recreation grew difficult. The Italian erased a break level in that recreation. Sinner snapped off a second-serve ace capping a 10-minute maintain to stage after 4 video games.
On the outset, Jodar was hitting his forehand even greater than Sinner, in line with TennisTV stats, however the wild card misplaced the texture on that stroke within the fifth recreation. Jodar slapped a forehand into center of the online, then scattered a backhand huge to face triple break level.
Although the Spaniard saved two break factors, a sliding Sinner shot an excellent backhand bullet winner down the road, breaking Jodar for 3-2, and silencing Spanish followers. Sinner saved one other break level backing up the break for 4-2.
Difficult {the teenager}’s forehand, Sinner was placing with extra top and depth on his pictures.
The Wimbledon winner rattled out errors incomes the love break for 5-2. Sinner surged by eight of the final 9 factors enjoying cleaner tennis all through the 44-minute first set.
That quick end to the opening set was a prelude of Sinner’s power-play closure to the second set.
Resetting, Jodar halted a five-game slide with an important maintain to start out the second set.
A leaping Jodar rocketed a 103 mph forehand down the road for double break level within the sixth recreation of the set. Sinner fought off a return that hit the baseline hammering a diagonal forehand to save lots of the primary. Drawing the Spaniard in with the dropper, Sinner lofted the rainbow lob to erase the second break level ultimately holding for 3-all.
Threating serve once more within the eighth recreation, Jodar earned three extra break factors. A 13-shot rally ended with Sinner slamming a forehand to save lots of the second break level. On the third, Sinner flicked a forehand dropper then conjured a mesmerizing short-angled backhand winner to save lots of the break level and assist maintain for 4-all.
Digging in, Jodar denied three match factors in a troublesome seven-minute maintain for 5-4.
Expertise—and elevation—was final the distinction on this match. Sinner soared to a better stage on the finish of each units.
The World No. 1 rolled by a love maintain to pressure the tiebreaker. Sinner torched a flamethrower forehand down the road for a 4-0 tiebreaker lead and completed the match with one other forehand down the road.
