Miami Gardens (USA), March 28: Jannik Sinner sat out the Miami Open a year ago as he served a three-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance.
Now the 24-year-old Italian is on the verge of winning his second Miami Open title in three years and becoming the first male to win the “Sunshine Double’’ since Roger Federer in 2017.
The second-ranked Sinner roared into the Miami Open final with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win over No. 4 Alexander Zverev on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
“Coming here and trying to produce some good tennis was my main goal, and standing here again in the final means very much to me,” Sinner said. “It has been an incredible swing and I couldn’t be better. I’m very happy.”
Sinner, who served 15 aces, has beaten Zverev seven straight times and has won a record 32 straight sets at an ATP Masters 1000. A hardcourt dynamo, Sinner captured the first leg of the Sunshine Double on March 15 when he topped Daniel Medvedev in Indian Wells.
Sinner will be a heavy favourite when he faces 21st-seeded Jiri Lehecka in Sunday’s final. Sinner has won 11 straight matches in Miami dating to 2024. He captured the 2024 Miami Open but wasn’t allowed to defend his title.
Nevertheless, Zverev was the crowd favourite, particularly drawing loud cheers on points he won in the second set.
When the 6-foot-6 German got up a break point leading 4-3 in the second set, the stadium was awash in noise. But Zverev couldn’t pull it off, hitting a backhand into the net as Sinner escaped. In the second-set tiebreaker, Sinner lost the first point but pounded two straight aces to lead 2-1 and soon it was over after a Zverev service return sailed long.
Sinner notched his first-set break at 2-1. Off a long rally, he came in and smashed an overhead winner for break point, then looped a lovely forehand winner down the line to make it 3-1.
Sinner has a 3-0 career record against Lehecka, beating him last at the 2025 French Open.
Lehecka advanced to the biggest ATP final of his rising career by routing 28th seed Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-2 in the early semifinal. Lehecka’s Czech countryman, Jakub Mensik, won the Miami Open last year.
Lehecka will make his first appearance in an ATP Masters 1000 final.
Lehecka, 24, broke Fils in the opening game and the outcome never seemed in doubt. On match point, Lehecka served an ace and raised his arms.
Lehecka finished with six aces, no doubles faults and didn’t face a break point. He hasn’t been broken in the tournament.
Sabalenka to defend title against Gauff
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff are back on a big stage in the final of the Miami Open as their growing rivalry heats up.
Gauff, who beat Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open finals, will meet the top-seeded Belarusian.
This WTA 1000 final will mark their 13th meeting, with the series knotted at 6-6. They faced off three times in finals in 2025. Sabalenka won the last meeting in the group stage of the WTA Finals in November.
Sabalenka is attempting to win the “Sunshine Double” – the back-to-back March hard-court tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami.
Sabalenka won in California on March 15 with a three-set victory over Elena Rybakina. Gauff had to retire during her third-round match against Alexandra Eala in Indian Wells because of a nerve injury in her left forearm. Gauff said her team wanted to skip the Miami Open but she insisted. (AP)
