Italian No. 1 tennis player Jannik Sinner made history on Sunday, claiming the Miami Open title to become the first man in history to complete the 'Sunshine Double' without dropping a set.
World number two Jannik Sinner outlasted first-time Masters 1000 finalist Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 33 minutes, lifting his second crown at the Miami Open presented by Itau in style.
Moreover, the 24-year-old Italian completed the Sunshine Double for the first time, extending a record streak to 34 straight sets won at the Masters 1000 level.
In his on-court interview, he spoke about achieving the feat: “It means a lot to me, it’s incredible. It’s something I never would’ve thought to win because it’s difficult to achieve. We made it somehow, so I’m very happy.”
The start of the men's singles championship match in Miami Gardens got disrupted on Sunday, as rain delayed play at Hard Rock Stadium.
However, once the title contenders stepped onto the court, the wait proved worthwhile.
Facing one another for the fourth time at tour level, they pushed each other in an intense opening showpiece, marked by Sinner's trademark aggression and Lehecka's sharp serving.
The Czech, who advanced to his maiden Masters 1000 final without dropping serve in five matches, found himself under heavy pressure for the first time in the third game of the first set.
Failing to take time away from the second seed, he struggled to balance his powerful forehand. As a result, he lost his serve for the first time in the tournament, down 1-2.
The 24-year-old reacted quickly in his attempt to break straight back, but the Italian cut short his rival's efforts in ruthless fashion, connecting five winners in a row from 0-40 down to extend his advantage to 3-1.
In a dramatic ninth game, the 21st seed held his nerve, fending off two break points to stay the course at 4-5.
Nonetheless, Sinner's clinical display led to holding to love, sentencing the first set 6-4 in 46 minutes, winning 100 percent of the points on his first serve.
Then, the inclement weather conditions forced the organizers to suspend play at the Stadium as soon as the first game of the second set began.
An hour and a half later, play resumed with both players coming out strong behind their serve.
Eventually, the San Candido native would take the better of the Czech player, who misfired often on the forehand wing.
In survival mode, the two-time ATP title holder walked on a thin line to save five break points in the second set.
Then, a combination of depth and power saw him kick up a level, building momentum to win six consecutive points from the seventh game, a streak Italy's No. 1 brought to an end with consistency.
Leaving no margin for errors, Sinner converted his second break in the contest, moving forward to serve out the match 6-4 with authority.
All in all, he finished with 22 winners (10 aces) against 19 unforced errors, winning 92 percent of the points on his first serve, saving all three break points he faced.
Earlier this month, the four-time major champion defeated 11th seed Daniil Medvedev in two tiebreaks to claim his maiden BNP Paribas Open title, becoming the third man to complete the set of titles at all six Masters 1000 hard-court tournaments.
Today, he reached another career milestone, becoming the first man since Roger Federer (2017) to complete the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells & Miami).
Sinner is on a 17-match winning streak at the Masters 1000 level, having captured his 26th tour-level title.