“We go day by day and we see how it goes. It’s, of course, I know what’s on the line, but at the same time, I don’t focus on this. We know what we have to do. We try to go as far as we can but at the same time, I look at my body and see how it feels. Then, we see what’s coming.”
Up against an in-form French qualifier, Sinner navigated a close deciding set before ultimately serving out the win in two hours and 20 minutes on Manolo Santana Stadium.
Sinner has won every Grand Slam and Masters 1000 title except Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros, and Alcaraz’s absence opens the door for the Italian to become the first since Novak Djokovic to win all 13.
But first Sinner had to get past Bonzi, a 29-year-old who won three matches in Madrid’s unique conditions to book a meeting with the world No. 1. Playing his first match since winning the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Sinner had a set point in the first-set tiebreaker but found himself behind after Bonzi reeled off three straight points of the Sudden Death.
Sinner roared back in the second and claimed a crucial break early in the third, ultimately serving out the match on his first opportunity.
Up next for the Italian will be Denmark’s Elmer Moller, a strong clay-courter looking to make his Top 100 debut in 2026.
