In order to complete the ‘Sunshine Double,’ Jannik Sinner defeated Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 to win the Miami Open.
The Italian won the Indian Wells and Miami championships in the same year, the first man to do so since Roger Federer in 2017, by defeating Jiri Lehecka in the final by a score of 6-4, 6-4. Additionally, Sinner is the first player to accomplish this feat without losing a set throughout both tournaments.
At the age of 24, he became just the eighth man in history to capture the Sunshine Double, and this was his first victory at Indian Wells. Federer and Novak Djokovic have accomplished this feat numerous times.
Eight different men have ever won the Sunshine Double: 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 amazing to double for the first time,” Sinner stated during his on-court interview. “Because it’s hard to accomplish, it’s not something I would have ever anticipated [to win]. I’m really glad we somehow managed to pull through.
Since the beginning of last year’s Paris Masters, Sinner has also maintained his winning streak at the ATP Masters 1000 level, now at 34 sets in a row. According to the ATP Win/Loss Index, he has improved to 19-2 this season.
Aryna Sabalenka won the “Sunshine Double” on Saturday. The Sunshine Double has now been accomplished four times in the same year by an ATP and a WTA player following Sinner’s victory.
When Sampras and Steffi Graf each won Indian Wells and Miami in 1994, it marked the first instance of this phenomenon. Federer and Kim Clijsters both won both competitions in 2005, and Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka both achieved Sunshine Double triumph in 2016.
Having won the ATP Masters 1000 title seven times, Sinner has now made a statement this month, leaving him 1,190 points behind World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the ATP Live Rankings.
At the age of 24, Lehecka was participating in his first ATP Masters 1000 championship match. The Czech is poised for a new career-high No. 14 in the ATP Rankings on Monday.