Jannik after his victory in Miami: “I want to enjoy the moment; otherwise, you never stop. If I’m feeling good, I’ll start training on clay again on Thursday. Monaco is an important tournament; it will also serve as preparation for everything else”

“During the rain delay, I just listened to some music. I was playing well, hitting the ball better. Sure, there was a bit of tension, but I also started joking around to break the ice.” This is how Jannik Sinner, with his usual ease, describes how he handled the long rain delay at the start of the second set of the Miami final against Jiri Lehecka. A match that the Italian effectively had under control the entire time, emerging victorious 6-4, 6-4 and completing a historic feat: he is the first player to win the Sunshine Double, taking home both Indian Wells and Miami in the same year without dropping a set. And on that note, he analyzes what is more challenging: becoming a Grand Slam champion or triumphing in both tournaments in the same year: “Winning here after going all the way at Indian Wells isn’t easy; you’re tired but highly motivated, and you have a lot of confidence. Is it harder than winning a Grand Slam? I don’t know; there you play best-of-five sets, and in two weeks anything can happen—I don’t make comparisons.”

Sinner’s run takes on even greater significance when considering his difficult start to the season, which culminated in a loss in Doha to Jakub Mensik. But the Italian managed to bounce back, in his own way: “After Doha, we spent long days on the court with little rest, playing under the sun for hours on end. The goal was to improve my performance in the heat. I struggled too, but I tried to take it day by day, and it will certainly help me for the rest of the season. It’s just a lot of hard work—no secrets.” Nor is it a secret that another of Sinner’s targets, now more than ever as he’s chipped away at the points gap, is the top spot in the rankings held by Carlos Alcaraz. As of today, at the start of the clay-court season, he trails by 1,190 points. “For me, it all depends on how I play, and the rankings should reflect that,” explains Sinner, “Carlos has been very consistent for a long time, and now we’re heading to clay, where we know how strong he is. For me, it’s about recovering, and I don’t even have much time to adapt to clay ahead of Monte Carlo.” And in fact, preparation for the surface could become a reality very soon: “If I’m physically okay on Thursday, we’ll start back on clay. If I want to play singles, doubles (where he is entered with Zizou Bergs, ed.) could help me test the conditions in Monte Carlo a bit and give me the chance to be as ready as possible for an important tournament, which also serves as preparation for what comes next.”

key—  For Sinner, this marks his third consecutive Masters 1000 title, following his victory in Paris last fall. All of them, incidentally, without dropping a set. And what is increasingly making the difference in the Italian’s matches is his serving performance: a weapon that is a certainty, and becomes decisive in the most delicate situations. In the final against Lehecka, he won 92% of points on his first serve, saving all three break points he faced. “I’m very satisfied with my serve,” explains Sinner, “especially this week. I served well, and getting a few free points when you’re a bit tired can make all the difference. I actually think I served better here than at Indian Wells. There’s a lot of work behind it, but on clay it’ll need to be used differently—you can’t just hit it flat.” The transition to clay, where Alcaraz is defending 4,330 points, will be a pivotal moment of the season. With some stops, like Monte Carlo, where Sinner lives, and Rome with all the love from the Italian fans, that will be sweeter than others. “In Monte Carlo, I’m at home, not in a hotel,” admits the world No. 2, “we’re in hotels all year round, and I like being at home to do my own thing and not think too much about the tournament. I always prefer this setup. Now I want to enjoy the moment.” A favorable moment, one of victory, as has happened so many times in recent years. And now Sinner will have to ride the wave and continue his pursuit of the top spot, which is even closer after a Sunshine Double that will go down in tennis history. Not even Sampras, Federer, and Djokovic, for that matter, had won Indian Wells and Miami consecutively without dropping a set. Feats.