World number two Jannik Sinner defeated Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to claim the ATP Miami Masters 1000 title for the second time, adding to his recent Indian Wells victory. Despite rain delays before and during the final, Sinner completed the prestigious “Sunshine Double,” becoming the first male player since Roger Federer in 2017 to win both elite hard court tournaments in California and Florida consecutively without losing a set.
Notably, Sinner, who had won Miami in 2024 but missed last year due to a three-month doping suspension, has now secured three consecutive Masters 1000 titles, beginning with his triumph in Paris last year. Reflecting on his achievement, Sinner described the moment as “very, very special,” emphasizing how meaningful it was to perform strongly again after Indian Wells, something he never imagined accomplishing given the difficulty of the feat.
In a significant development for tennis, Sinner’s victory, combined with Aryna Sabalenka’s win over Coco Gauff on Saturday, marked the first time since 2016 that both the men’s and women’s Indian Wells-Miami doubles were completed by the same players, echoing the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka. This success also allowed the Italian to close the gap on Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, who was unexpectedly eliminated in the third round, in the race for the world number one ranking as the clay court season approaches.
The final faced early interruptions from rain, causing a delay of over an hour. After Sinner secured the first set, another 90-minute rain break halted play again. However, these interruptions did not disrupt Sinner’s rhythm. He delivered 10 aces and won 33 of 36 points when his first serve landed in play. His return game was equally effective, breaking the serve of 22nd-ranked Czech Lehecka for the first time in the tournament to take a 2-1 lead in the opening set.
Though Sinner fell behind 0-40 in the next game, he responded with three service winners and two aces to hold serve. He noted the challenge of adjusting to the heavy balls and different conditions early on, which caused him to miss some first serves. Lehecka’s aggressive return style also demanded precision, as Sinner explained, “You have to hit very precise. If not, he has it on the racquet.” Despite this, Sinner maintained his advantage and earned a first set point in the ninth game with a sharp cross-court forehand return winner. Lehecka saved that and another set point before Sinner closed out the set with a love game.
In the second set, Lehecka resisted five break points before Sinner capitalized on a loose forehand from the Czech to secure the only break, taking a 5-4 lead. Sinner did not face any break points in the set and earned match point with a forehand volley winner. After a serve was called a let, he sealed the victory with another winner at the net.
Lehecka, appearing in his first Masters 1000 final, was unable to join compatriot Jakub Mensik as a Miami champion but will rise to a career-high 14th in the world rankings on Monday. At the trophy ceremony, Lehecka acknowledged his turnaround, saying he arrived in Miami out of form but managed to return to the level of tennis he aims to play.
