Jannik Sinner Claims Miami Open, First Man to Achieve Sunshine Double Since Federer
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Miami, March 30 (NationPress) Jannik Sinner triumphed over Jiri Lehecka with a score of 6-4, 6-4 to secure victory at the Miami Open, thus achieving the illustrious 'Sunshine Double'.
This victory makes Sinner the first male player since Roger Federer in 2017 to win both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season. Notably, Sinner is the first athlete to accomplish this remarkable feat without losing a single set throughout the two tournaments.
The 24-year-old clinched the Indian Wells title for the first time, joining an exclusive group of eight male players who have achieved the 'Sunshine Double'. Both Novak Djokovic and Federer have accomplished this multiple times.
The illustrious list of men who have accomplished the Sunshine Double includes: Jim Courier (1991), Michael Chang (1992), Pete Sampras (1994), Marcelo Rios (1998), Andre Agassi (2001), Roger Federer (2005-06), and Novak Djokovic (2011, 2014-16).
“It’s incredible to achieve the Double for the first time,” Sinner expressed during his on-court interview. “It’s something I never thought I would achieve because it’s quite challenging. Somehow, we made it happen, and I’m extremely happy.”
Sinner has also extended his impressive record to 34 consecutive sets won at the ATP Masters 1000 level, dating back to last year's Paris Masters. He has improved his season record to 19-2, as per the ATP Win/Loss Index.
On the same Saturday, Aryna Sabalenka completed the 'Sunshine Double', marking the fourth occasion that both an ATP player and a WTA player have achieved this milestone in the same year.
The first instance occurred in 1994 when both Sampras and Steffi Graf emerged victorious in Indian Wells and Miami. In 2005, Federer and Kim Clijsters similarly won both events, and in 2016, Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka each celebrated Sunshine Double success.
A seven-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, Sinner currently trails World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz by 1,190 points in the ATP Live Rankings following his remarkable performances this month.
Lehecka, at 24 years old, participated in his first ATP Masters 1000 final. The Czech player is set to achieve a new career-high ranking of No. 14 in the upcoming ATP Rankings.