Match Report
Sinner surges to save sets streak, reach Miami QFs
World No. 2 downs Michelsen, plays Tiafoe or Atmane next
March 24, 2026
Rich Storry/Getty Images
Jannik Sinner in action against Alex Michelsen on Tuesday in Miami.
By Andy West
Jannik Sinner summoned a late charge Tuesday to keep alive his record-breaking ATP Masters 1000 sets streak and simultaneously book his quarter-final spot at the Miami Open presented by Itau.
The No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings overcame home hope Alex Michelsen 7-5, 7-6(4) at Hard Rock Stadium to keep his mission to complete the coveted ‘Sunshine Double’ on track. Indian Wells champion Sinner rallied from 2-5 in the second set to complete a one-hour, 42-minute triumph and improve his tally of consecutive sets won at Masters 1000 events to a record-extending 28.
Most Consecutive Sets Won At ATP Masters 1000 Level* (since the series began in 1990)
*Walkover loss ends the streak
“I felt like the serve helped me quite a lot today, especially in important moments and in the tie-break, so I’m happy about that,” said Sinner. “At the same time, I know that if I want to go far in this tournament, I have to improve from the back of the court. Tomorrow is a day off, which helps me and I will try to find good rhythm in the practice session. Then we’ll see how things go.
“It’s completely different conditions to last night, so I’m happy how I fought. It was very close. A very close match against Alex. He’s a tough opponent, so I’m very happy.”
Another day, another @janniksin achievement 🫡@MiamiOpen | #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/8qbrwR4RGI
— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 24, 2026
Sinner won 90 per cent (38/42) of points behind his first serve en route to victory against MIchelsen, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The Italian will hope to produce similar numbers when he takes on 19th seed Frances Tiafoe or Terence Atmane in the quarter-finals on Thursday, while he will also aim to improve in other areas of his game.
“I didn’t feel my best tennis today, so I tried to find a way through,” reflected Sinner. “I know myself a little bit better now, so I know that every day can be a little bit different.”
Sinner’s prowess on serve inside Hard Rock Stadium was not enough to stop his spirited American opponent from moving to a healthy lead in the second set. However, Michelsen appeared to tighten up when serving at 5-3 and Sinner capitalised expertly to break back and keep his hopes of a 14th consecutive straight-sets Masters 1000 victory alive.
Michelsen regained his composure to force a tie-break, which Sinner began with a stunning backhand down-the-line winner. Although Michelsen then promptly won two points on return, Sinner slammed the door shut by winning six of the next seven points to seal victory and improve to 3-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
Sinner has now won his past 28 matches against American opponents dating back to his loss to Ben Shelton in Shanghai in 2023. The 24-year-old Italian is just the third man to reach the quarter-finals on his first five appearances at the Miami Open presented by Itau, joining Yannick Noah and Stefan Edberg.