The world No. 1 beat Daniil Medvedev after a rain-delayed semi-final and will face Casper Ruud as he chases the only major Masters title still missing from his collection.

Jannik Sinner has moved one step from a landmark home triumph after defeating Daniil Medvedev to reach the Italian Open final, giving Rome a finale built around national expectation, personal endurance and a widening shift in men’s tennis.

The world No. 1 beat Medvedev 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 after their semi-final resumed on Saturday following heavy rain, which had interrupted the match on Friday with Sinner leading 4-2 in the deciding set. The victory sent the Italian into a second consecutive Rome final and set up a title match against Norway’s Casper Ruud.

The win was not routine. Sinner dominated the opening set but struggled physically as Medvedev pushed back in the second, becoming the first player at this year’s tournament to take a set from him. Reuters reported that Sinner needed a medical timeout for cramping before the rain delay halted play, adding another layer of tension to a match already charged by the home crowd.

For Italian tennis, the result carries historical weight. Sinner is the first Italian man in 68 years to reach back-to-back finals in Rome, a feat last achieved by Nicola Pietrangeli. His run also extends a remarkable Masters-level winning streak to 33 consecutive matches, underlining his dominance before the French Open.

Ruud, seeded 23rd, reached the final by beating Italy’s Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-1, ending another home storyline but confirming his own resurgence on clay. The Norwegian has yet to take a set from Sinner in four previous meetings, but his consistency on clay makes him a dangerous opponent in Rome.

The final will be more than a title match. For Sinner, Rome remains the missing piece in his Masters collection after last year’s final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz. Winning it would strengthen his position as the defining player of the current ATP cycle and send him to Roland Garros with momentum, confidence and the emotional force of a home-country breakthrough behind him.

The broader message is clear: men’s tennis is no longer waiting for the post-Big Three era to settle. Sinner is actively shaping it. In Rome, under pressure from the crowd, the weather and his own body, he found a way through — and now stands one match from turning a strong season into a symbolic Italian coronation.