Sinner Drops Set, Then Surges to 19th Straight ATP Masters Win in Monte-Carlo

By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, April 9, 2026
Photo credit: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Facebook

Elite shotmakers like Jannik Sinner know tennis is a sport of balancing offensive aims with defensive stands.

Tested by a bold Tomas Machac and a bout of dizziness, Sinner delivered authoritative antidote to both adversaries.

Sinner charged through 12 consecutive points in the final set powering to a 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-3 victory over Machac in a milestone Monte-Carlo match.

A packed crowd that included Prince Albert, ATP Chief Andrea Gaudenzi and Johann Sinner, Jannik’s father, saw Machac push the Wimbledon winner before Sinner elevated in a definitive closing run to post his 14th straight win.

World No. 2 Sinner saw his record run of 37 straight sets at the ATP Masters 1000 level snapped by Machac in a masterful tiebreaker today, but Sinner stretched his ATP Masters 1000 match winning streak to 19.

“I think I can be happy,” Sinner said. “I was struggling a little bit, was a bit tired, I hope I can recover as well as I can tomorrow.

“I try to do the best every match I play. Most important was trying to get through somehow. I just try to perform in the best possible way and I think today it was still a very, very positive day.”

Continuing his quest to supplant rival Carlos Alcaraz as world No. 1, Paris Indoors, Indian Wells and Miami champion Sinner advanced to his 65th career Tour-level quarterfinal where he will face Felix Auger-Aliassime in a Monte-Carlo rematch of the 2025 US Open semifinals.

“Second set, I tried to find the right energy, but this can happen,” Sinner said after being pushed to a third set in a Masters 1000 match since Shanghai last September. “I tried to push myself through, which I’ve done.

“I’m happy. Now the main priory is to recovery. Tomorrow is going to be a tough match. Felix is playing great, especially on this surface.”

Earlier, Auger-Aliassime led Casper Ruud, 7-5, 2-2, when the two-time French Open finalist was forced to retire with an apparent calf injury.

It’s a major Masters moment for Auger-Aliassime, who completed the set of quarterfinals at all nine ATP Masters 1000 events, becoming the first Canadian to achieve the feat in series history.

The seventh-ranked Canadian advanced to his 67th Tour-level quarterfinal.

Overall, the 24-year-old Sinner has beaten the 25-year-old Auger-Aliassime four times in a row to take a 4-2 lead in their head-to-head history.

At Flushing Meadows last September, Sinner stopped Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the US Open final. A few months later, Sinner defeated Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6(4) in the Rolex Paris Masters Indoors final, starting his streak of three consecutive Masters 1000 championships.

Machac opened a 40-Love lead only to see Sinner respond with a barrage of biting forehands that saw the Italian elicit errors to score the break.

The second seed consolidated at love for a fast 2-0 lead.

Twisting a topspin forehand winner crosscourt, Sinner surged to a 3-0 double-break lead after just 10 minutes of play.

Across the net, Machac was struggling to find his range and keep the ball between the lines. Machah netted a forehand to face a break point in the fifth game. The man who partnered Katerina Siniakova to the Olympic mixed doubles gold medal pulled off a fantastic leaping high backhand volley off a challenging lob that helped him erase break point.

Eighteen minutes into a lopsided match, Machac held on to get on the board at 1-4.

Continuing to try to red-line his game, Machac hit himself into more misery. Sailing a forehand beyond the baseline, the Czech ended the 26-minute opener.

A clean Sinner served 67 percent, won 12 of 15 points played on his serve and committed just eight unforced errors—10 fewer than Machac—in a commanding opening set.

That was Sinner’s record-extending 37th consecutive set win at the ATP Masters 1000 level.

Despite the first-set thrashing, you have to credit Machac for second-set creativity. A sliding Machac carved an exceptional backhand drop volley winner slathered with sidespin that helped him hold for 2-all in the second set.

That shot seemed to spark Machac, who earned his first break point in the following game.

Dropping back to receive a second serve, Machac put more air under a deep return. Striking off his back foot, Sinner netted a forehand. The Czech scored the break for a 3-2 second-set lead.

Adelaide champion Machac swept a crosscourt forehand winner confirming the break at 15 for 4-2.

In the opening set, the Czech barely won points on the Sinner serve.

Dialing in his returns in the second set, Machac frequently fired rights right down the middle denying the second seed angles. Sinner sailed a forehand to face a break point in the seventh game.

Asserting his all-court acumen, Machac made a snazzy sliding half-volley drop shot to score his second straight break for 5-2. 

A reeling Sinner seemed to grimace as he took a tablet on the ensuing changeover. The lanky Italian’s flagging energy level seemed to escape Machac.

Serving to break Sinner’s Masters’ set streak, Machac basically rode himself right off the red dirt road committing three errors, including slapping a forehand into net, to gift one break back to Sinner in the eighth game.

Deadlocked at 5-all, Sinner saved two break points, including the second when Machac netted a bold backhand down the line. Sinner stood tall holding for 6-5. Machac answered stamping a strong love hold to send the set into a tiebreaker.

Sinner’s 37-set Masters 1000 streak was on the line, but Machac took total charge of the tiebreaker to shatter the streak.

One hundred and eighty-five days since Sinner’s last ATP Masters 1000 set loss—a 7-6(3), 5-7, 2-3, retired defeat to Tallon Griekspoor in Shanghai last September—he double faulted wide to face four set points.

On his second set point, Machac turned his shoulders into a stinging backhand strike crosscourt to snatch the second set and snap Sinner’s 27-set Masters 1000 winning streak.

How would Sinner respond physically?

And could Machac maintain his highly aggressive second-set style amid severe third-set stress?

Any thoughts the Sunshine Double champion would fade were answered at the outset of the decider.

Hitting his forehand with ferocity, Sinner stormed through 12 straight points backing up a love break with a shutout hold for 3-1.

After Machac held for 2-3 both men took visits from physio. 

Stabilizing after that second-set bout of dizziness, Siner stabilized holding at 30 for 5-3.

A valiant effort from the Czech dissolved as Machac netted a serve-volley attempt then flew a forehand to face triple match point.

Sinner drained one final error closing his 19th consecutive Masters 1000 win and 14th straight win this year improving to 21-2 on the season.