Sinner does not 'follow the trend' with Alcaraz and Djokovic, the reason is clear.

Jannik Sinner is facing a major opportunity to clinch his first Madrid Open title in his career.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have both withdrawn from the Mutua Madrid Open 2026, while Jannik Sinner did not do so and is now the top contender for the fourth ATP 1000 title of the year.

Following an impressive streak of three consecutive ATP 1000 titles, including the "Sunshine Double": Indian Wells and Miami Open before triumphing at the Monte Carlo Masters, Sinner entered a brief rest period. He did not participate in the Barcelona Open or BMW Open, and his coaching team also considered skipping the Madrid Open.

However, according to coach Simone Vagnozzi, not competing in Madrid would make the gap between Monte Carlo and Rome Masters too long, affecting the Italian player's match rhythm.

"Nothing is better than maintaining rhythm through actual matches. If you only train for a long period without competing, you will lose your feel and expend more energy when returning to the court.", Vagnozzi shared.

The decision to compete in the Madrid Open is thus seen as a strategic move, helping Sinner maintain stability before entering the next two important tournaments: Rome Masters and Roland Garros.

Besides professional factors, high performance is also a reason why the team of the player born in 2001 does not want to interrupt his playing streak. When maintaining a winning streak and confidence, continuing to compete is considered to offer greater advantages than taking a long break for training.

Nevertheless, Sinner's coaching team emphasizes the balance between competition and recovery. The dense schedule on clay courts always carries physical risks, so adjustments to workload will be carefully calculated after each tournament.

In his opening match at this year's Madrid Open, Sinner will face French player Benjamin Bonzi.