Italy’s world number two, Jannik Sinner, matches a Federer landmark of winning the Sunshine Double, whilst shattering a Djokovic record in a dominant March on the tennis circuit.
Jannik Sinner has delivered one of the great months in recent tennis history, completing the coveted “Sunshine Double” with a composed 6-4, 6-4 victory over Czech Jiri Lehecka in the Miami Open final on Sunday. He became the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to win Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back in the same season, and the first man ever to do so without dropping a single set.
The second-seeded Italian didn’t let either of two 90-minute rain delays slow him, landing 10 aces in the final and 70 across the entire tournament — the second-most of his career.
“It means a lot to me, the Sunshine Double for the first time, it’s incredible,” Sinner said in his on-court interview. “It’s something I never would’ve thought because it’s difficult to achieve. We made it somehow, so I’m very happy.”
Flawless across Florida
The numbers tell a story of near-total dominance. Sinner extended his record to 34 consecutive sets won at ATP Masters 1000 level, dating back to the start of last year’s Rolex Paris Masters. This surpasses the previous benchmark of 24 held by Novak Djokovic. He has also improved to 19-2 for the season.
With rain delaying the start by 90 minutes before causing a further 80-minute delay in the second set, the four-time Grand Slam champion remained unruffled by the inclement weather.
Lehecka, who arrived in the final having not dropped serve across his five previous matches, was broken early in both sets and could not recover. In the opening set, Sinner did not drop a point behind his first serve, going 16 from 16. The Czech converted 13 of his 19 points at the net but it was nowhere near enough to disturb the Italian’s rhythm.
“It’s very, very special moment,” Sinner added. “Coming here, performing in a good way after Indian Wells, means a lot to me. Physically, it’s tough when you come here from California. You’re a little bit tired, but the motivation is very high.”
A record-breaking March
Sinner became only the eighth male player to complete the Sunshine Double. Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer both achieved it on multiple occasions. The difference this time is the manner — no set conceded across the entire fortnight in the desert at Indian Wells, nor across the ten days on Florida’s Atlantic coast.
This was Sinner’s second Miami Open title in three years, extending his winning streak at Hard Rock Stadium to 12 matches dating back to 2024. He missed last year’s event serving a doping suspension. “It has been on my mind,” he said. “I missed these type of tournaments. These are very important weeks.”
The path was helped by circumstance; top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz was upset by Sebastian Korda in the third round, and Djokovic skipped the event with a right shoulder ailment. However, no one completes 34 consecutive Masters 1000 sets by accident.
Eyes on Alcaraz
Sinner now trails world number one Carlos Alcaraz by 1,190 points in the ATP Live Rankings, having closed the gap significantly with his Miami triumph. With no ranking points to defend until Rome, momentum is firmly on Sinner’s side heading into the start of the European clay season.
Alcaraz, for his part, had built a 16-match winning streak earlier in the season with titles at the Australian Open and in Doha, but the Spaniard’s Miami exit has handed his great rival a significant psychological and numerical boost just as the clay courts of Europe beckon.
