Jannik Sinner Shines in Doha: Unbeaten Streak Puts 2026 ATP Tour on Notice

Italy’s Jannik Sinner has stormed into the Qatar Open quarter-finals in Doha, backing up an emphatic 6-1 6-4 first-round dismissal of Czech qualifier Tomas Machac with a composed 6-3 7-5 win over Australia’s Alexei Popyrin that keeps the world No 2 on track for a potential showdown with top seed Carlos Alcaraz. The 24-year-old Italian did not face a single break point in his opener and limited himself to just nine unforced errors, a sharp response after his five-set Australian Open semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic last month. Wednesday’s victory over Popyrin extends Sinner’s blistering run to 22 wins in his last 23 matches and guarantees at least a 28th quarter-final appearance in his past 30 tournaments. Next up is Czech teenager Jakub Mensik, whose flat groundstrokes could test the Italian’s renowned baseline consistency, but Sinner remains the clear favourite after lifting two Grand Slam titles and finishing 2025 as Wimbledon champion. Key to Sinner’s surge has been an upgraded first serve that regularly tops 215 km/h on the slow Doha hard courts, creating short replies he converts with laser-precise inside-out forehands. His camp also credits a heavier off-season fitness block aimed at coping with the Middle-East humidity—an approach already paying dividends in swift court coverage during lengthier rallies against Popyrin. Should Sinner clear Mensik, the draw projects a semi-final against either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Andrey Rublev before a possible Sunday final versus Alcaraz, the Spaniard who edged him in last year’s French and US Open finals. With ranking points from his 2025 Doha runner-up finish dropping next week, another deep run is critical if Sinner is to keep pressure on Alcaraz for the No 1 spot. SEO keywords: Jannik Sinner, Qatar Open 2026, Doha tennis results, Sinner vs Popyrin, Sinner vs Mensik preview, ATP Tour news, world No 2 tennis.