“Jannik Sinner is one step away from becoming a legend in tennis.”

Jannik Sinner is one step away from making a thunderous mark in the history of world tennis, poised to achieve a feat that only Novak Djokovic has accomplished to date: the coveted Career Golden Masters. If he triumphs at this year’s Rome Masters 1000, Sinner will not only join the legendary Serbian but also become the youngest player to achieve this milestone at the age of 24.

The Italian, a four-time Grand Slam tournament winner, is just two victories away from lifting the trophy at the iconic Foro Italico. A win would solidify his name among the greats of the sport by completing the collection of titles across all ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. Currently, Sinner has already amassed nine titles in this category — including the Canadian Open (2023), Cincinnati Open, and Shanghai Masters (both in 2024) — with only the title in Rome standing between him and a perfect cycle.

The pressure and expectations are immense, especially since world number one Novak Djokovic is in monstrous form, being the only player to have won all nine Masters 1000 tournaments throughout his career. This record was completed in 2018 when Djokovic won the Cincinnati Open for the first time after years of trying to fill that gap. The Serbian, who has consecutively won several Masters — including Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Paris, and others — has set an almost unattainable standard.

But Sinner, who has been dominating the Masters circuit with an impressive series of victories, including five consecutive tournaments between 2023 and 2024, is threatening that dominance. If he can defeat the Italian Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals and surpass Casper Ruud in the final, he will make history in the sport, becoming the second man to achieve the Career Golden Masters.

For the uninitiated, the Career Golden Masters is one of the rarest and most valued feats in professional tennis. It requires winning all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments: Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Canada, Cincinnati, Shanghai, and Paris. Djokovic is the only player to have achieved this feat so far, with multiple titles in each of these events.

Sinner may not only equal Djokovic but also surpass him in age, as the Serbian was 31 years old when he completed the set. Furthermore, even if he does not win Rome this year, the Italian still has several years to attempt this record, with the potential to become the youngest player in history to achieve the Career Golden Masters.

In the world of tennis, other talents like Carlos Alcaraz are also approaching this milestone. The young Spaniard, 23, is three titles away from completing the collection, missing the Canadian Open, Shanghai, and Paris. On the other hand, legends like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have fallen short of this achievement, with several Masters 1000 eluding them, such as Miami, Paris, Monte Carlo, and Rome.

The race for the Career Golden Masters is heating up, and Jannik Sinner promises to be the next star to challenge the giants of tennis. This weekend, the global tennis circuit will be focused on the Italian, whose ambition could rewrite the history books of the sport and etch his name forever among the elite of the racket sport.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.