MIAMI/WASHINGTON, March 30, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)
As World No. 2 Jannik Sinner faced No. 22 Jiri Lehecka in this year’s Miami Open presented by Itau championship match Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, the 24-year-old from Italy looked to make some history.
With a victory to complete his second title run at Miami Gardens, Sinner would become the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to complete the Sunshine Double as well as the first Italian player. Meanwhile, Lehecka, a 24-year-old Czech, aimed to capture his first ATP Masters 1000 title.
The Italian No. 1 also looked to become the first man in tennis history to win the Sunshine Double (winning the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., and the Miami Open back-to-back in the same year) without losing a set.
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Guess what? Except for some pesky rain showers, which delayed the start of Sunday title match by 90 minutes, then kept the players off court for nearly an hour-and-a-half after playing just three points in the second set, Sinner was near-perfect in defeating Lehecka, 6-4, 6-4, to become the Miami Open champion and secure the first Sunshine Double on the ATP Tour in nine years. He accomplished the feat in an hour and 33 minutes – less time than he sat idle during the cumulative rain delays.
Sinner became just the eighth man to win Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back in the same year, joining Jim Courier (1991), Michael Chang (1992), Pete Sampras (1994), Marcelo Rios (1998), Andre Agassi (2001), Federer (2005-06, 2017) and Novak Djokovic (2011, 2014-16). He’s the first one to win the Sunshine Double without dropping a set.
“It means a lot to me. [Winning] the Sunshine Double for the first time, it’s incredible,” Sinner said during his on-court interview with ATP Media before collecting his second champion’s trophy of the 2026 season – and second in two weeks. “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.”
That feeling when you make history as the first Sunshine Double champ to go without dropping a set 😮💨#JannikSinner pic.twitter.com/f8kJRazHsw
— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 30, 2026
As Sinner walked out for the final on the temporary-constructed stadium court inside Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL Miami Dolphins, he carried a remarkable record streak of 32 consecutive sets won at ATP Masters 1000 level – and extended it to 34 with his straight-set mastery of Lehecka. He also improved his 2026 win-loss record to 19-2. His only losses this season have been a five-set heartbreak defeat to Djokovic in the semifinal round of the Australian Open followed by a quarterfinal setback against 2025 Miami champion Jakub Mensik of Czechia at Doha. Since then, he’s won 12 straight – six each in Indian Wells and in Miami.
Throughout this Miami fortnight, Sinner was a man on a mission. He relied upon his powerful serve, which produced 10 aces and enabled him to win 92 percent (33 of 36) first-serve points, including 16 of 16 in the opening set, against Lehecka. His precise groundstrokes were his ally and he took advantage of his opponents’ vulnerabilities while capitalizing upon his own opportunities. He struck 22 winners while making just 19 unforced errors, compared to 16 winners and 28 unforced errors from his opponent. Against Lehecka, Sinner saved all three break points he faced and converted two of 11 break points – breaking the Czech once in each set. It was the only time Lehecka’s serve was broken all tournament.
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At 4-all in the second set, Sinner broke Lehecka to go ahead 5-4. It was the third-straight service game Sinner had break points against his opponent. He finally cashed in when it mattered the most – and he joined World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who also garnered the Sunshine Double after winning the women’s singles title on Saturday.
En route to his 26th ATP Tour singles title , Sinner defeated Damir Dzumhur, No. 30 seed Corentin Moutet, Alex Michelsen, No. 19 seed Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals and No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev before finishing the title triumph against the 21st-seeded Lehecka, whom he outpointed 72-60.
“I tried to stay solid in very different conditions today, it was very heavy so it’s tough to go through the player,” Sinner said during his on-court interview. “I tried to stay solid in important moments and I’m very happy to take this [trophy] home with me.”
Sinner joined Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as the only men to win three-plus consecutive events at the ATP Masters 1000 level in series history.
SINNER STANDS TALL
Courtside as @janniksin takes the Sunshine Double ☀️☀️#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/CUd7RI06NK
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 30, 2026
Meanwhile, Lehecka, who was competing in his first ATP Masters 1000 final, will head for the European clay season with the consolation of achieving a new career-high ranking of No. 14 when the new PIF ATP Rankings are released on Monday.
During his trophy speech, Lehecka praised Sinner and looked for positives in finishing runner-up. “It’s never easy to stand here after losing a final like that,” he said. “If I need to lose it against someone, it’s against you, Jannik. Congrats to you and your team for doing as always and all the time an incredible job.
“I think it’s been a great tournament. I came here not in good form and was able to come back to the tennis that I want to play. … To everyone supporting me back home watching TV, and cheering the whole week or two, it means a lot. I’m very happy and sad at the same time. Hopefully, next time, I’m going to lift the trophy.”
What an incredible run @jirilehecka 👏
You should be very proud…#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/3VO7xVGMa7
— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 30, 2026
Around Hard Rock Stadium
No. 2 seeds Katerina Siniakova of Czech and Taylor Townsend of the United States won the rain-interrupted women’s doubles final over top seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini of Italy, 7-6 (0), 6-1, in one hour and 49 minutes. The final was interrupted by rain in the first set after 49 minutes of play with the Czech/American duo ahead 6-5.
When play resumed, the final was moved from the stadium court inside Hard Rock Stadium onto the Grandstand – and Siniakova and Townsend didn’t miss a beat. They won the first-set tie-break 7-0, after saving three set points along the way. Then, Siniakova and Townsend dropped just one game in the second set.
That winning feeling 🤩#MiamiOpen | @TaylorTownsend | @K_Siniakova pic.twitter.com/UE17pi0krJ
— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 29, 2026
With their Miami triumph, Siniakova and Townsend completed a Sunshine Double in doubles after capturing the BNP Paribas Open title in Indian Wells earlier this month. En route to winning the Indian Wells crown, Siniakova and Townsend prevailed over Errani and Paolini, 6-2, 6-2, in the semifinal round. They are the first team to win the Sunshine Double in doubles since Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka in 2019.
“It’s been a really long month, but so successful for both of us,” Townsend said during the trophy ceremony. “It’s really exciting. Everyone was trying to put it on us about the Sunshine Double. Well, we did it.”
Siniakova praised Townsend during her trophy remarks. “Thank you so much for playing,” she said. “It’s a pleasure to kind of (get to know) you more. So, thank you for playing with me and making it fun. I’m really enjoying this time with you.”
A moment for the Miami champs! 🏆@K_Siniakova & @TaylorTownsend | #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/mKv7TqKPqK
— wta (@WTA) March 29, 2026
By the numbers
Jannik Sinner came into Sunday’s Miami Open final on an 11-match winning streak in Miami after winning the 2024 title as he looked to win his seventh ATP Masters 1000 title and record multiple titles at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time.
“Quotable …”
“Jiri, it’s amazing to see you back playing this kind of level. I know you’ve had some tough, tough times with a lot of injuries. But seeing you here … I know you as a person, you’re an amazing person. Keep it up you and your team and family. I’m extremely happy for you.”
– Miami Open champion Jannik Sinner of Italy, during his trophy ceremony speech, praising his opponent Jiri Lehecka.
