Novak Djokovic extended his record to 38 Masters 1000 titles after a dominant performance against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Rome final. By securing his sixth crown in Italy, Djokovic demonstrated total control on the court. His straight-sets win (6-0, 7-6 (7/5)) serves as a stern warning to the rest of the field ahead of the upcoming French Open. The Serbian champion remained untouchable throughout the tournament, winning the title without dropping a single set, following a historic 1,000th career win against Casper Ruud in the semi-finals.
At 34 years, 11 months, and 23 days, world number one Novak Djokovic became the oldest man to win the Italian Open in the Open Era, surpassing Rafael Nadal's previous record. Now, the Serbian veteran enters the French Open as the heavy favorite, aiming to equal Nadal's landmark achievement of 21 Grand Slam singles titles.
Although Stefanos Tsitsipas entered the final as the tour's most prolific winner this season with 31 victories, he couldn't break Djokovic's hold, falling to a 2-7 career record and suffering his sixth straight loss to the Serb. Djokovic established control immediately, delivering a 'bagel' in the first set within just half an hour. During that opening set, the Serbian was clinical, converting three of five break points while remaining completely unthreatened on his own serve.
The tide shifted slightly in the second set as Tsitsipas began to find his rhythm, starting with his first successful service hold of the match. The world number five stepped up his game, creating his first two break opportunities at 40-15 in the fourth game, eventually breaking Djokovic at 3-1 after a shot hit the net.
Tsitsipas managed to break again in the sixth game when a drop shot from Djokovic fell short. However, Djokovic responded aggressively with a sharp angled backhand and a precise passing shot to narrow the gap to 4-2. From there, both players held their serve consistently, leading the set into a tie-break.
In the tie-break, Djokovic took a 3-2 lead as Tsitsipas committed three errors with his backhand. A powerful serve further extended the Serbian's lead to 5-2, though a few unforced errors from Djokovic allowed the Greek player to fight back and level the score at 5-5.
Closing in on the victory, Djokovic pressured Tsitsipas' backhand during his serve, forcing a weak return to reach championship point. He sealed the title on his first attempt when Tsitsipas hit a crosscourt backhand wide of the line.