Twice. Jannik Sinner had to win this Internazionali d’Italia semifinal twice. The first time last night, when on the Centrale at the Foro Italico he seemed to have completely anesthetized Daniil Medvedev with a dominant, almost perfect first set, closed out 6-2 amid unreturnable accelerations, extremely deep returns and that sense of superiority that now accompanies the world number one in almost every one of his appearances. The second time today, after a very long night, after the rain, the interruption, the postponement and above all after the concrete risk that an apparently finished match could turn into a trap.
In the end Sinner really did it: 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 was the score with which he overcame the Russian, reaching the final in Rome and once again confirming a quality that perhaps more than any other is making him the dominant player of this season: the ability to win even when the script suddenly changes. For more than a set and a half, the semifinal had looked like an almost brutal show of strength. Yesterday Sinner had stepped onto the court with the surgical precision of his best days, immediately taking rhythm away from Medvedev and forcing him to chase. The Russian tried to break up the rallies, to lengthen the points, to vary trajectories and depth, but on the other side of the net he found an opponent who was simply unplayable.
The first set was a manifesto for Sinner’s tennis in 2026. Effective serve, aggressive return, the ability to take the centre of the court and dictate the rally from the very first shot. The final 6-2 only partly conveys the dominance expressed by the Italian, because the visual impression was even clearer: every time he accelerated with the down-the-line backhand or the inside-out forehand, the Russian seemed to be struggling. At that point everything suggested an inevitable conclusion. The Roman crowd was already preparing to celebrate yet another show of strength from its champion, but tennis often changes face in just a few minutes.
In the second set, something suddenly cracked. Sinner began to slow down, to lose intensity in his movement, to show signs of fatigue. A sudden bout of illness robbed him of his sharpness just when the match seemed to be under control. Medvedev, who lives off mental resistance and the ability to stay inside matches even when they seem to be slipping away from him, immediately sensed the change. The Russian began to lengthen the rallies and make Jannik run, and without beating around the bush, at a certain point he seemed doubled over by stomach pain.
Jannik still tried to cling to the match with the quality of the great champions, but in the eleventh game of the second set. That was the passage that put everything back into question. Medvedev found the break at the key moment, taking advantage of an obvious dip from the Italian, and then closed out the set 7-5, dragging the semifinal into a third. At that moment, after more than two hours of play, the momentum suddenly seemed to have shifted. The Centrale began to wonder about Sinner’s condition, about his physical resilience. For the first time in the match, Medvedev really appeared convinced that he could turn everything around.
And yet the world number one once again showed why he is now the absolute benchmark on the tour. In the third set, Sinner returned to the court with a completely different attitude. More aggressive and lighter on his feet, almost regenerated. He immediately broke Medvedev’s serve, taking back control of the semifinal and bringing the Roman crowd back onto his side. It seemed like the decisive blow. But just as the match was entering its final phase, the sky above the Foro Italico decided to add another obstacle to the world number one’s endless night.
The rain grew heavier and heavier, until the organizers were forced to stop play. Then came the postponement to today. An extremely complicated situation, especially for someone like Sinner, who had just rediscovered rhythm and confidence. Stopping like that, just a few games from victory, with a night in between and all the tension to manage, could have represented the emotional turning point of the match. The Italian arrived on court today with the clarity and hunger of someone who did not want to leave any room for surprises. No hesitation, no fear of seeing the match reopen. From the first points after the restart he attacked Medvedev, maintaining his break advantage and immediately giving the impression that he had only one intention: to close the matter as quickly as possible.
The Russian tried to stay attached to the match, but Sinner left him no more openings. The final 6-4 released all the tension accumulated between last night and today. More than a simple victory, it felt like a demonstration of absolute maturity. “Playing everything in such a short space of time is a different kind of challenge. At night I usually don’t struggle to sleep, whereas yesterday I did. The third set was almost over, but you never know what can happen,” Jannik explained to Sky Sport. “It’s almost a new beginning. In the end I’m happy with the way I managed it.” Now the world number one can look ahead. Tomorrow at 5 p.m. he will face Casper Ruud in the final, with the chance to move even deeper into the history of contemporary tennis. If he wins, Sinner would in fact claim the fifth consecutive Masters 1000 of his extraordinary 2026, a result that would further certify the dominance he has built over recent months.
But Rome, for an Italian, always means something more. Because the Internazionali d’Italia are not simply a tournament. They are the tournament. Sinner will not be playing just for another title. After beating Medvedev twice in the same semifinal, Sinner is one step away from completing the job. And Rome is dreaming with him: of finally seeing an Italian lift the Internazionali d’Italia trophy, fifty years after the last time, signed by Adriano Panatta.