Milan, 18 May (LaPresse) – A historic edition of the BNL Italian Open has come to a close, the first to feature an Italian champion in the men’s singles and an all-Italian pair triumphing in the men’s doubles. The success of Jannik Sinner, the first Italian to win the title since 1976, and of Italy’s top doubles pairing, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, lit up an unprecedented Sunday. But the Italian tennis celebrations continue. We are, in fact, the only nation with four players in the Top 16 of the ATP rankings published on 18 May 2026. Jannik Sinner, the record-breaking champion – second only to Novak Djokovic to complete the Career Golden Masters, but having achieved it at just 24 years of age compared to the Serb’s 31 – boasts 14,700 ranking points. No one has had so many since 2016, when Djokovic had 14,840 during the two weeks of the 2016 US Open. The absence of Carlos Alcaraz, who missed the BNL Italian Open and will not play at Roland Garros, ensures Sinner will remain number 1 until after Wimbledon, and thus at least match Lleyton Hewitt’s 80 weeks at number 1, the tenth player to have spent the most time at the top in the history of the computerised rankings, introduced in 1973. Italy’s number 2 is Lorenzo Musetti, world No. 11, who has dropped out of the Top 10 for the first time since entering it a year ago and will miss the upcoming Roland Garros due to injury. Flavio Cobolli remains at No. 12, whilst Luciano Darderi, a semi-finalist in Rome, climbs to No. 16, securing his best-ever ranking and a place among the top 16 seeds at Roland Garros. Also worth noting is Matteo Arnaldi’s return to the Top 100 (96, +12).
Tennis: ATP rankings – Sinner reigns supreme at No. 1, but four Italians feature in the top 16
Milan, 18 May (LaPresse) – A historic edition of the BNL Italian Open has come to a close, the first to feature an Italian champion in the men’s singles and an all-Italian pair triumphing in the men’s doubles. The success of Jannik Sinner, the first Italian to win the title since 1976, and of Italy’s top doubles pairing, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, lit up an unprecedented Sunday. But the Italian tennis celebrations continue. We are, in fact, the only nation with four players in the Top 16 of the ATP rankings published on 18 May 2026. Jannik Sinner, the record-breaking champion – second only to Novak Djokovic to complete the Career Golden Masters, but having achieved it at just 24 years of age compared to the Serb’s 31 – boasts 14,700 ranking points. No one has had so many since 2016, when Djokovic had 14,840 during the two weeks of the 2016 US Open. The absence of Carlos Alcaraz, who missed the BNL Italian Open and will not play at Roland Garros, ensures Sinner will remain number 1 until after Wimbledon, and thus at least match Lleyton Hewitt’s 80 weeks at number 1, the tenth player to have spent the most time at the top in the history of the computerised rankings, introduced in 1973. Italy’s number 2 is Lorenzo Musetti, world No. 11, who has dropped out of the Top 10 for the first time since entering it a year ago and will miss the upcoming Roland Garros due to injury. Flavio Cobolli remains at No. 12, whilst Luciano Darderi, a semi-finalist in Rome, climbs to No. 16, securing his best-ever ranking and a place among the top 16 seeds at Roland Garros. Also worth noting is Matteo Arnaldi’s return to the Top 100 (96, +12).
