One of the most incredible tennis streaks in recent memory came to an end on Thursday at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
World number two Jannik Sinner conceded a set at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament for the first time since October 2025.
The Italian had not dropped a set in his previous three campaigns at Masters events, having flawlessly triumphed in Paris, Indian Wells and Miami.
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Sinner earned another straight-sets win over Ugo Humbert in his opening match in Monte-Carlo, but the streak finally came to an end in round three.
After taking the first set comfortably in his round-of-16 clash with Tomas Machac, the Czech star fought back and took the second in a tiebreak.
Tomas Machac said he is ‘frustrated with the result’
Machac won the second-set shootout 7-3, but failed to capitalise on the momentum in the third, and ultimately fell to Sinner 6-1, 6-7, 6-3.
After the match, Machac took to Instagram to say: “If I understand it well, winning one set against Jannik counts as a good performance… Small detail, and that’s what I was fighting for, you still need two to win.
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“Frustrated with the result, but happy with my level. Fueled for the clay season. On court and every day, movement is key.”
Sinner’s streak of consecutive sets won at ATP Masters 1000 events ended at 37, smashing the record previously held by Novak Djokovic, who managed 24.
Tomas Machac’s 2026 season so far
Machac’s 2026 campaign started with a fairly successful Australian swing, during which he captured his second ATP title.
He won the Adelaide International, beating the likes of Tommy Paul and Ugo Humbert to hoist the ATP 250 trophy.
Following a third-round exit at the Australian Open, Machac struggled to get going again, suffering early exits in Montpellier, Doha, Miami and Marrakech.
In Monte-Carlo, Machac picked up wins over Daniel Altmaier and 16th seed Francisco Cerundolo, but was beaten by Sinner in the third round.
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