Jannik Sinner shares update on fitness ahead of Madrid Open

Jannik Sinner heads into the 2026 Madrid Open as the top seed and clear favourite to take home the title.

Those odds got a big boost after both Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of the tournament.

There was some talk that Sinner might also decide to sit this one out, but he’s made the trip to Madrid and is aiming for his fifth straight Masters 1000 win.

Sinner spoke with Sky Sport ahead of the event to discuss how he’s feeling physically before play gets underway.

Sinner says he’s feeling good ahead of the Madrid Open

“Physically, I feel pretty good, just a bit tired, but that’s to be expected,” he said (translated from Italian).

The world number one is keen to break new ground in Madrid, having struggled at the event throughout his career.

“Not having played last year, Madrid is an opportunity to figure out how to improve in a tournament where I’ve never gone beyond the quarter-finals,” said Sinner.

“Especially on this surface, I’ve always tried to get better.

“This year, after two or three days on clay, I felt pretty good.

“Even though here in Madrid the playing conditions are different: the ball is very fast, and you control it a bit less.”

Sinner continued, suggesting that he isn’t getting carried away, despite his impressive ATP Tour form.

His closest challenger remains Alcaraz who won 40 consecutive matches before being beaten by Gael Monfils at Indian Wells.

Sinner’s Madrid Open path looks favourable

Sinner begins his campaign with a second-round bye and will face either Benjamin Bonzi or Titouan Droguet in his opening match.

Assuming he comes through that, the Italian is expected to face Gabriel Diallo in the third round, who hasn’t found much success on clay so far this season.

The fourth round could present a tougher test, with potential matchups against Tomas Machac, Tommy Paul, or Cameron Norrie.

Machac pushed Sinner to three sets in Monte Carlo recently, so a rematch could be an interesting storyline.

Looking ahead to the quarter-finals, possible opponents include Alex de Minaur, Joao Fonseca, Arthur Rinderknech or Andrey Rublev. While Sinner would be favoured against all of them, it’s worth noting he has never reached the semi-finals here before.

If Sinner does make it through to the last four for the first time in 2026, he could then meet Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils Valentin Vacherot or Lorenzo Musetti.

Shelton and Fils have shown strong form on clay this year. All four players have impressed at times on this surface and will pose a serious challenge if they reach that stage.

If Sinner makes it all the way to the final he could face Alexander Zverev. The two-time Madrid Open winner who has had great success here over his career but there’s no denying that Zverev will be up for the battle.

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