Italy’s Jannik Sinner, ranked world number two, continued his dominance over Germany’s Alexander Zverev by extending his winning streak against the fourth-ranked player to seven matches. On Friday, Sinner secured his place in the Miami Open men’s final with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) victory after one hour and 53 minutes. The 24-year-old Italian delivered 15 aces and improved his consecutive sets won at the Masters 1000 level to 32.
In a significant development, Sinner aims to become the first male player since Roger Federer in 2017 to achieve the “Sunshine Double” by winning both Indian Wells and Miami titles in the same year. Reflecting on his performance, Sinner expressed the importance of reaching another final and acknowledged the incredible run he has had so far. Having defeated Zverev two weeks earlier in the Indian Wells semi-finals, the reigning Wimbledon champion and four-time Grand Slam winner is pursuing his second Miami title in three years.
“My main goal was to come here and play good tennis, competing in as many matches as possible,” Sinner remarked. “I couldn’t have done better and I’m very happy.” Meanwhile, world number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus is also chasing the “Sunshine Double” as she defends her Miami crown against American fourth seed Coco Gauff in Saturday’s WTA final.
In the other men’s semi-final at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, 21st-seeded Czech Jiri Lehecka dominated 28th-seeded French player Arthur Fils with a 6-2, 6-2 win. Lehecka, who has yet to take a set from Sinner in their three previous encounters, will face the Italian in the final. Sinner acknowledged Lehecka’s talent and noted that his opponent might play with more freedom, but he intends to control what he can and see how the match unfolds.
During the match against Zverev, Sinner broke serve with a forehand winner to lead 3-1 in the first set and maintained his advantage to close it out after 42 minutes. The second set remained tightly contested, with neither player breaking serve until the tie-break. The turning point came when Zverev missed an overhead smash, giving Sinner a 5-4 lead. Zverev then sent a backhand wide, allowing Sinner to seal the victory with a service winner. This win improved Sinner’s head-to-head record against Zverev to 8-4.
“It was a very tough match. He played some incredible tennis,” Sinner said. “I served very well, especially during crucial moments, so I’m very pleased.” The victory puts Sinner one step closer to claiming his 26th ATP title in his 35th career final.
Lehecka, who has not lost a set throughout the tournament, broke Fils’ serve four times in the first set and secured the win in 75 minutes. He expressed satisfaction with his performance, highlighting the confidence gained from his preparation and the execution of his game plan. The 24-year-old Czech will rise from his current career-high ranking of 16th to at least 14th next week, with a potential jump to 12th if he wins the title.
Lehecka is seeking his third ATP title, having won in Adelaide in 2024 and Brisbane in 2025. This final marks his eighth career appearance and his first at a Masters 1000 event.
